Lost Capitol Hill: The Home Theater

When we think of the phrase “Home Theater” today, it is usually in terms of large screens, surround sound, and well-padded chairs, all recreating the experience of going to a movie theater – in the comfort of your own home. Amazingly enough, this phrase has been used since 1949 to describe the experience, even though the “theater” then consisted of a TV/Record player combo whose TV sported a sub 12-inch screen. But even before that, the name Home Theater had been attached to a movie theater on Capitol Hill.

The Home Theater, at 1230 C Street NE, was built in 1915 and opened on January 29, 1916, with a showing of “Destruction,” a film starring Theda Bara as a gold-digger who marries for money but has her husband die before he can change his will, necessitating her to kill his son, as well. It was based on a novel by Emile Zola.

The newspapers of the time did not dwell on the dourness of the offered fare, but rather praised the interior dimensions and finished off with praise for the “heating and ventilating system installed [which] is modern in every respect and the circulation of pure and wholesome air at all times is assured.” (Washington Times, January 23, 1916)

The Washington Post ran pretty much the same text, though continued on with the news that the lounge in the mezzanine would allow patrons to watch the first-run movies that were to be shown from moveable chairs – presumably what earned the theater the right to be called “home.” Only at the very bottom did the three little letters “adv” indicate that the above text did not flow from the pen of a Post reporter, but was rather sprang from the fevered mind of an advertising executive.

Ad for the Home Theater, as it ran in the Washington Post on January 28, 1916 (washingtonpost.com)

Business was good for the theater, and by 1924 it had been expanded from 800 to 1500 seats, and was used not only for movies, but also for public lectures. The following year, Harry Crandall added the Home Theater to his string of movie palaces, and he immediately set out to have it “redecorated, renovated and refurbished.” Amazingly enough, this work – which included installing a new pipe organ – took all of one week.

Business was good enough that in 1941, a major renovation changed the Moorish Revival style it had been built into the more modern Art Deco style. Ten years thereafter, however, it was bought by the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Apostolic Faith, and has been used as a church since then. A sign at the corner of 11^th and C NE reminds passers-by of the original use of this magnificent building.