Site Name: The Byrd Theatre

Date of Construction: 1928

Site History: The Byrd was built for the viewing of talking motion pictures. The original owner Mr. Charles Soma, Jr. employed many local Richmonders and New Yorkers alike to construct and decorate the building. At the time, the Byrd was equipped with vitaphone, a relatively new sound synchronization system pioneered by Bell Telephone Laboratories and commercially developed by Warner Brothers, proving it to be one of the more standout and luxurious buildings of the time. 

What about the site has changed?: Though many things still remain the same in the many intricate details of the building, such as its black Italian marble box office, gold-leaf plaster decoration, hand-painted murals and amber and gold color scheme, some pretty remarkable changes have been made. The building originally had a twenty-by-eight-foot pool, grand marquee and lobby fountain. A concessions stand has now replaced the pool, however the marble fender, bronze rails, and other parts of the pool were carefully preserved in storage for some time.

What about the area has changed?: Carytown, like most other neighborhoods has changed in that most of the original businesses were hit hard by the economy during the times of the Great Depression and since have had to modernize and transform to fit accommodate the changing population of consumers.

Reflection: The changes to this site are a perfect reflection of the broader changes in the region in that since it was built and opened during the time of the Roaring Twenties where everyone lived very lavish lifestyles it was decorated very lavishly, however when the area and the economy fell into hard times, some of those luxuries had to be removed for financial reasons. Sadly, the building has never been restored to its original glory due to further economic hardships felt both in the areas surrounding the site and in the nation with the economic impact of the Great Depression and the recession that occurred more recently.

Sources:

Burdick, Hugh. "Richmond Theatres." Eddie Weaver and the Byrd Theatre Organ. 1960. Accessed March 18, 2015. http://www.richmondtheatres.tripod.com

"The Byrd Theatre." Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Accessed February 15, 2015. http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Richmond/127-0287_Byrd_Theater_1979_Final_Nomination.