Venus Theater
1412 Hull Street,
Richmond,
VA
23224
1412 Hull Street,
Richmond,
VA
23224
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I see that the grand opening ad just posted confirms Fred A. Bishop as the architect of the Venus Theatre.
The Venus theatre opened on March 18th, 1925. Grand opening ad posted. It was closed by Neighborhood theatres in 1961.
Venus theatre opening 18 Mar 1925, Wed The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia) Newspapers.com
A permit was issued for a theater to be built at 1414 Hull Street in 1924. Mrs. E. A. Thorpe commissioned the project, which was designed by architect Fred A. Bishop.
Built in 1926, and showed movies till 1961, became retail, but don’t know how long it was abondaned before being bought in 1999 by Imani Community Development Corporation, Imani means faith in Swahilli, and the Development Corporation is affilated with the First Baptist Church of South Richmond. It is located in the Manchester Historic District, and Hull Street was like the second downtown. The Theater, a three-story mixed residential and commecial structure and two small single-story vacant retail structures have had had a $7.9 million “historic rehab” done to them making 68 apartments and first floor retail space.
It is a two story Classsical Revival-style building faced with cast stone and columns defining the bays. There is a stone horizontal superstructure with “VENUS” carved in the frieze and carved stone medillions below the cornice.
CT would welcome photos, past and present, inside and out, and more info.
DJA
Chief Bob Jensen
Manteno, Illinois