Donk's Theatre

Donk's Theatre was a historic movie theater located at Hudgins, Mathews County, Virginia.

Donk's Theatre
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Virginia Landmarks Register
Site of the former theatre in 2017
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Location	259 Buckley Hall Rd., Hudgins, Virginia
Coordinates	37°28′17″N 76°19′35″W
Area	less than 1 acre
Built	c. 1946 (1946)-1947
Architectural style	Art Deco
Demolished	2016 (collapsed)
NRHP reference No.	10001185[1]
VLR No.	057-0069
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	January 28, 2011
Designated VLR	December 17, 2009[2]
Removed from NRHP	February 7, 2017

Donk's Theatre, 2012

History and description

Donk's Theatre was built in 1946–1947, and was a vernacular rectangular building constructed of rusticated cinder and concrete block, painted white and cream with Art Deco style details. The building measured 50 feet by 100 feet, and consisted of the central theatre entrance, storefronts, and a 504-seat auditorium. The theater operated as a segregated venue for motion pictures until passage of federal civil rights legislation in 1964. In the following years the movie business was declining and the theater closed in 1970. It reopened in 1975, as a live country music concert hall.^[3] On January 22, 2016, the roof of Donk's collapsed due to heavy snowfall from a winter storm, as did several of the outside walls. Little survived, and what remained required demolition; the owners said that they would save the marquee.^[4]

The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011,^[1] and was removed from the National Register in 2017.^[5]

References

1. "National Register of Historic Places Listings". Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 1/24/11 through 1/28/11. National Park Service. February 4, 2011. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
2. "Virginia Landmarks Register". Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
3. James S. Sease, Esq. and Joanna Nix (May 2009). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Donk's Theatre" (PDF). Virginia Department of Historic Resources. and Accompanying five photos
4. Michael Martz (January 23, 2016). "Roof collapses on historic Donk's Theater, known as "Virginia's Lil Ole Opry"". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
5. National Park Service (February 17, 2017), Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 2/6/2017 through 2/10/2017, archived from the original on March 8, 2017, retrieved March 8, 2017.

External links

• Donk's Theatre website