DAR Constitution Hall
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Constitution Hall | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
 |
|
| Location: | 311 Eighteenth St., NW. |
| Nearest city: | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Architect: | John Russell Pope |
| Architectural style(s): | Classical Revival |
| Designated as NHL: | September 16, 1985 |
| Added to NRHP: | September 16, 1985 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 85002724 |
| Governing body: | Daughters of the American Revolution |
DAR Constitution Hall is a concert hall in Washington, D.C. It was built in 1929 by the Daughters of the American Revolution to house its annual convention when membership delegations outgrew Memorial Continental Hall. Later, the two buildings were connected by a third structure housing the DAR Museum and administrative offices. DAR Constitution Hall is still owned and operated by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.
The hall was designed by architect John Russell Pope and is located at 1776 D St. NW, just east of the Department of the Interior, between the American Red Cross and the Organization of American States, across from the Ellipse in front of the White House. The hall seats 3,702 people, with 2,208 in the tiers and 1,234 on the orchestra level. Additionally, 52 boxes (containing 5 seats each) separate the orchestra from the tiers.
The Hall is used for concerts, commencements, conferences, corporate meetings, and televised events. The Hall hosted the premier of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. It was the location where Eddie Murphy Delirious was filmed in 1983 and Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat was filmed in 2002. Chris Rock's HBO special and album Never Scared were recorded there in 2004. Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune have both been filmed at the Hall. Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group have been held there in 2004, 2005, 2007, and will be held at the Hall again in 2008.
For several decades prior to the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1971, Constitution Hall was home to the National Symphony Orchestra and the city's principal venue for touring classical musicians. Sold-out film lectures of the National Geographic Society were also held for many decades, three times a week until about 1990 when they were moved instead to the National Geographic theater, one mile to the north.
 |
The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page. (March 2008) |
In an often-mistold historical incident, the Hall's management once told distinguished African-American singer Marian Anderson her requested performance date for the Hall was already booked by another event (the National Symphony Orchestra), causing first lady Eleanor Roosevelt instead to offer her a spot to sing at the Lincoln Memorial. Anderson performed at the Hall for an American Red Cross war relief benefit in 1943, and also chose it as the first venue of her farewell tour in 1964. It is often retold that she was denied permission to sing there due to her race; a fallacy as the choir from Hampton Institute, a black college in Hampton, Virginia, and a black male tenor, Roland Hayes, had performed there in the 1930's.
Every U.S. president since Calvin Coolidge has attended at least one event at the theater.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
 |
This article does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
