Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

THEATRE ON COLEMAN LOT
April 15, 1931.

NOTE: This report is in addition to the report on Colonial Buildings on the present Coleman lot issued October 17, 1930, which gives a full historical record of the site and building.

Williamsburg's distinction of having the first theatre in America is further enhanced by the probability that the play-house itself was well built and attractive. This is to be deduced from the following evidence:

The play-house was financed by a group of subscribers, the leading men in the affairs of the colony, men of wealth and taste who were themselves owners of fine buildings. The subscriber's names, as recorded in December 16, 1745 in the York records when the play-house was sold, were:

John Blair	Will: Gooch
Bn. Harrison, Junior	Phillip Ludwell
Ralph Wormley	Benja. Harrison
Natha'll Harrison	Lewis Burwell, Jr.
W. Beverley	John Grymes
Francis Willis	Henry Armistead
Robert Tucker	John Robinson
Ge. Braxton or Ge. Braxton Jr.	Phi: Lightfoot
Beverley Randolph	R'd. Corbin
Thos. Bray	Thos. Lee
David Meade	Lewis Burwell
Edw'd. Digges	Jas. Littlepage
Wilson Cary	Carter Burwell
Jos. Temple	William Nelson, Jr.
Peter Randolph	J. Mercer
	Ch. Carter

The building was on the Palace Green and close to the Governor's Palace. The Governor was a frequent visitor at the theatre and entertained his guests at dinner parties which were followed by an evening in the play-house. Near the building was a bowling green.

The theatre was built in 1716, and an ambitious agreement to bring actors, musicians and scenery from England was recorded. After Page 2 a number of years the theatre failed and in 1745 the mayor and council of the city of Williamsburg petitioned the gentlemen subscribers for a right to use the building as a Common Hall, planning to make the necessary alterations themselves.

The subscribers donated to the city the play-house with six feet of ground on every side, and plans were made to alter this twenty-nine year old building, which had been standing idle for some years. It is evident that the building was no crudely built temporary structure or at the end of that time it would not have been practical to convert into a Court House.

In the Virginia Gazette of December 19, 1745 notice of the kind of repairs planned for the play-house gives a clue to the play-house building.

"The Play House in Williamsburg is to be fitted up for a Court House by order of the Common Hall, that is to be new shingl'd, painted, weatherboarded, with five large sash windows, doors, floors, plaistering and good workmanship within, with apartments for the Mayor."

From this it seems apparent that the play-house was shingled, painted and weatherboarded, that like contemporary theatres in London if had few if any windows. Floors may have rotted, or it is possible that the play-house floors were not suitable for the court house, being on the several levels of pit, gallery and boxes. This is further indicated by the varying prices charged for tickets to performances in the theatre.

The Theatre site can be determined by excavation some place in the area about one hundred and forty feet north of the corner of Nicholson and Palace Streets. The building should be about 60 x 24 Page 3 feet. There was also a small dwelling house between the theatre and the corner about ten feet south of the theatre. This was William Livingstone's dwelling house, which had a small detached kitchen, according to deeds for Livingstone's property.

The bowling green was either south or east of the theatre.

The Theatre Collection at Harvard University contains a number of early prints and engravings of interior and exterior views of early 18th Century theatres in England, and an extensive collection of early Philadelphia and New York theatre prints.

A restoration on the old foundations of such a typical theatre is justified by the historical evidence and would be a means of perpetuating one of Williamsburg's most celebrated priorities. All historical works on the American theatre recognize the play-house as the first in America.