The theatre opened in 1910 at the corner of 7th and T Streets NW, in the area known as “Black Broadway.” It featured vaudeville, live theatre, talent shows and two performing companies, the Lafayette Players and the Howard University Players.

The Howard Theatre subsequently became an historic arts landmark that launched the careers of Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Marvin Gaye and The Supremes.

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, but the degradation of the neighborhood forced the theatre to close in 1980.

In 2000, The Howard Theatre was designated an American Treasure under the “Save America’s Treasures” program by President Clinton, paving the way for Howard Theatre Restoration (HTR).

After raising nearly $2 million through HTR, the city of Washington gave $12 million in grants via tax incremental financing, historic tax credits and new market tax credits, and Eagle Bank financed the remainder, for a total of $29 million.

The overhaul of the Howard Theatre began in September of 2010. The official re-opening was in April 2012.

Image by Ron Cogswell on Friday May 11, 2012, using a Nikon D80 and minor Photoshop effects.