Babylon South: The Building of the Richmond Loew’s Theater and the Richmond Garage 1925–1928

Babylon South: The Building of the Richmond Loew's Theater and the Richmond Garage 1925-1928 Thomas Earl Larose I n the years between the end of World War I and the Great Depression, the city of Richmond, Virginia, quickly established itself as the leading industrial and commercial center of the New South. National trends that would come to symbolize the 192os-industrial development, technological advancement, and mass marketing -transformed Richmond from the genteel political center of the former Confederacy and the State of Virginia into a regional economic dynamo.' However, while Richmond expanded in these areas, its leaders became increasingly aware that to fulfill its potential as the dominant city of the New South and remain competitive with other major cities, it had to capitalize on historical tourism and expand cultural offerings.2 City leaders, commercial developers, entrepreneurs, and speculators from Richmond and across the nation began investing in, and promoting, not just Richmond, Virginia, but an as yet unfulfilled vision of the city as an entertainment capital. Two dominant forces in this changing landscape were the automobile and the motion picture . From 1919 to 1929, the automobile changed commercial and residential patterns of Richmond by expanding the business district beyond the existing trolley tracks and bringing customers in increasing numbers from greater and greater distances . However, with opportunity came frustration , as providing access, service, and parking for Fig. I. Map ofGrace and Sixth Streets intersection, Richmond, Virginia, circa I928. (Author) these customers' vehicles taxed the city's infrastructure and character.3 The entertainment industry also radically expanded and changed during this period. Fueled in part by the increased mobility of the automobile, the motion picture developed from a novelty to a major industry, as entrepreneurs entertained grand visions of providing the masses with lavish cinematic escapes.4 The combined influences ofthe automobile and the movie industry were fundamental in shaping Los Angeles into the American Babylon.~ How these forces came to influence the development of Richmond and epitomize the vision of what may be termed "Babylon South" may be understood by examining two structures: the Loew's Theater on the corner of Grace and Sixth streets, and the Richmond Garage on the corner of Franklin and Sixth streets (jig. I). BROAD STREET bJJ D u ITHALHIMER I MIUER & LDEW'S RHOADES THEATER YMCA GRACE STREET [5g [:j WESTMDICHURCH ~ RELAND CLUB y RICHMD"D GARAGE FRANKLIN STREET D EJ EJ D MAIN STREET ARRIS 55 THOMASEARLLAROSE Less than a block apart physically, these two structures are miles apart in purpose and architectural style. Three major themes emerge in attempting to understand their overlapping character. The first theme deals with the speculation of local Richmond investors that swirled around the building of the Loew's Theater. This extravagant building project, envisioned as the capstone in Richmond's cultural expansion, featured numerous individuals competing for, and trying to maximize , their piece of the expected profits. As a result of profiteering, the theater's design and its construction were greatly reduced in scale and grandeur. A second theme arose from competitive infighting when a number of the same investors produced a competing theater whose design and interior decorations resulted in the scrapping of the original plans for Loew's Theater, and dictated the nature of its fmal form. A third and final theme arose with a different group of Richmond investors who saw the development of the Loew's Theater as an opportunity for automotive services and parking space producing the first parking garage in downtown Richmond. These investors used technological innovation and creativity to supplement a modest capital outlay and transformed what should have been a utilitarian structure into an outstanding architectural creation. Setting the Stage The intended transformation of Richmond into the cultural center of the New South began in the early 1920s with the development of Richmond as a growing tourist and shopping destination. With the mobility now offered by the automobile, Richmond's historic legacy of memorials, artifacts, and buildings made it a popular attraction for tourists. At the same time, the growing renown of Richmond's downtown made it a mecca for shoppers from the Upper South.5 Most notably, Grace Street, a residential area of the late...