DAR Constitution Hall
| DAR Constitution Hall | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| National Register of Historic Places | |||
| National Historic Landmark | |||
 DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, DC |
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| location | Washington, DC | ||
| Coordinates | 38 ° 53 '38.2 " N , 77 ° 2' 27.2" W | ||
| Built | 1929 | ||
| architect | John Russell Pope | ||
| Architectural style | Neoclassicism | ||
| NRHP number | 85002724 | ||
| Data | |||
| The NRHP added | September 16, 1985 | ||
| Declared as an NHL | September 16, 1985 | ||
DAR Constitution Hall is a concert hall in Washington, DC It was built by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in 1929 when the Memorial Continental Hall was no longer sufficient to hold their annual convention. The two buildings were later connected by a third building which houses the DAR museum, administrative offices and a genealogical library. The DAR Constitution Hall is still owned and operated by the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution . The concert hall was declared a National Historic Landmark on September 16, 1985 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
description
The building was designed by the architect John Russell Pope . It is located at 1776 D St. NW, just east of the Home Office , between the headquarters of the American Red Cross and the Organization of American States , across from the ellipse in front of the White House . The hall has 3702 seats, 2208 of them in the tiers and 1234 at orchestra level. In addition, 52 boxes (each with five seats) separate the orchestra from the tiers, including the presidential box.
The hall is built in a neoclassical style with an Alabama limestone facade. The house is home to the largest auditorium in Washington. The auditorium is unusual with its U-shaped balcony. This type of construction was necessary to accommodate the enormous amount of seating while maintaining a good view. The auditorium is equipped with a Skinner pipe organ .
Events
Today the concert hall is also used for concerts, graduation ceremonies, conferences, meetings, television events and other events. This is where the premiere of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington took place. It was the location where Eddie Murphy Delirious was filmed in 1983 , and Martin Lawrence Live: Runteldat was filmed here in 2002 . Chris Rock's HBO special recorded his album Never Scared here in 2004 . Whitney Houston gave her Classic Whitney concert here in 1997. Also, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune were filmed in the hall. In 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group took place there. Robin Williams recorded his Weapons of Self Destruction in the hall in 2009 .
Prior to the opening of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1971, the hall was home to the National Symphony Orchestra and the city's premier classical music venue for several decades . Some of the first mainstream country music concerts were held there, organized by Connie B. Gay. Sold out National Geographic Society film events were shown there for decades, three times a week until 1990, after which the event took place at the National Geographic theater a mile north. The free Sunday concerts of the United States Air Force Band, with famous guest artists, are very popular, as is the band's Christmas show.
In 1939, African American singer Marian Anderson was denied the opportunity to sing here by the man who ran the concert hall. The First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt then gave up her membership in DAR in protest. The organization later gave up its racist policies of exclusion and Anderson gave a benefit concert for the American Red Cross at Constitution Hall in 1943; In 1964 she chose it as the first location on her farewell tour.
Every US president since Calvin Coolidge has attended at least one event at Constitution Hall.
Web links
- "Constitution Hall". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. (Accessed May 11, 2009)
- Somerville, Mollie (January 8, 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Invenotry Nomination: Constitution Hall". National Park Service. (Accessed May 11, 2009)
Individual evidence
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↑ Listing of National Historic Landmarks by State: District of Columbia. National Park Service , accessed July 19, 2019.
Constitution Hall on the National Register Information System. National Park Service , accessed August 4, 2017.