Virginia Department of Historic Resources
(dhr.virginia.gov)
For Immediate Release
January 2026
Contact:
Ivy Tan
Department of Historic Resources
Marketing & Communications Manager
ivy.tan@dhr.virginia.gov
804-482-6445
—Ruth Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie were among the well-known artists who performed at the theatre—
—Text of marker reproduced below—
PLEASE NOTE: DHR creates markers not to “honor” their subjects but rather to educate and inform the public about a person, place, or event of regional, state, or national importance. In this regard, erected markers are not memorials.
RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) has announced that a state historical marker approved by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources was dedicated for Norfolk’s Attucks Theatre, which was funded, built, and operated in the early 20th century by the city’s African American community for Black audiences.
The marker unveiling was held Monday, January 19, at 9 a.m., at the theatre’s location on 1010 Church Street in Norfolk (23510).
A brief marker dedication program took place inside the theatre. City of Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander, Ph.D., began the program with greetings followed by remarks from speakers including Charles Johnson, former Vice Chair of the Attucks Theatre Centennial Commission, and LaToya Gray-Sparks, DHR Community Outreach Coordinator. Mayor Alexander and members of the City Council led the unveiling of the marker outside the theatre. A separate ceremony highlighting the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was held inside the Attucks Theatre after the marker unveiling. Guests were invited to attend the ceremony, entitled “A Celebration of Unity & Freedom in Song,” and participate in the unity march.
Nicknamed the “Apollo of the South,” the Attucks Theatre was built in 1919 in the City of Norfolk’s thriving Black business district. Designed by Black architect Harvey Johnson, the Attucks Theatre was financed, constructed, and operated by African Americans. It was named for Crispus Attucks, who was regarded as the first casualty of the American Revolution. Known as the Booker T. from 1934 until it closed in 1955, the theatre was a venue for concerts, movies, plays, and community events, and was listed in the Green Book, a 20th-century guide for Black travelers. Artists who performed at the theatre included Ruth Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie. The theatre’s rooms upstairs served as offices for Black professionals. Attucks reopened in 2004 after renovations.
The Virginia Board of Historic Resources, which is authorized to designate new state historical markers, approved the manufacture and installation of the Attucks Theatre historical marker in March 2025. The manufacturing cost of the marker was covered by its sponsor, the City of Norfolk.
Virginia’s historical highway marker program began in 1927 with installation of the first markers along U.S. Route 1. It is considered the oldest such program in the nation. Currently there are more than 2,600 state markers, mostly maintained by the Virginia Department of Transportation, except in those localities outside of VDOT’s authority.
Full Text of Marker:
Attucks Theatre KV-43
The Attucks Theatre, known as the “Apollo of the South,” was built in 1919 in Norfolk’s thriving Black business district. It was financed, constructed, and operated by African Americans and was designed by Black architect Harvey Johnson. Named for Crispus Attucks, regarded as the first casualty of the American Revolution, the theatre was a venue for concerts, movies, plays, and community events. Performers here included Ruth Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, and Dizzy Gillespie. Rooms upstairs served as offices for Black professionals. The theatre, known as the Booker T. from 1934 until it closed in 1955, was listed in the Green Book, a guide for Black travelers. It reopened in 2004 after renovations.
###
