Parsons Theatre, also given as Parsons' Theatre, was a theatre located in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

, at 66 Prospect Street at the interaction of Prospect St., Central Row, and American Row. Construction began on the theatre in 1895 and it opened in 1896. It was a venue for plays and concerts until it closed in 1931 during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. The theatre was demolished five years later.

History

Parsons Theatre' was designed by the architecture firm of J. B. McElfatrick & Sons and had a seating capacity of 1,817 people. The theatre was named for its initial proprietor and manager, Herbert C. Parsons. Parsons oversaw construction of the theatre which began in 1895. Parsons Theatre opened on April 1, 1896 with a performance of Woolson Morse and J. Cheever Goodwin's musical '' Dr. Synax'' that was given by

DeWolf Hopper William DeWolf Hopper (March 30, 1858September 23, 1935) was an American actor, singer, comedian, and theatrical producer. A star of vaudeville and musical theater, he became best known for performing the popular baseball poem "Casey at the Bat" ...

and his theatre troupe. The theatre gained a reputation as "one of the best of the high-class theatres in the eastern states" and attracted the best New York productions when they toured and top entertainers. The theatre was notably the last stop for the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic is an American symphony orchestra based in New York City. Known officially as the ''Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc.'', and globally known as the ''New York Philharmonic Orchestra'' (NYPO) or the ''New Yo ...

's 1910-1911 tour with conductor

Gustav Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic music, Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and ...

; concluding the tour with a concert on February 16, 1911. In 1915 the theatre was partially damaged by fire, and it closed for renovations until re-opening in October 1915. The

Shubert family The Shubert family was responsible for the establishment of Broadway theatre, Broadway theaters in New York City's Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District, as the hub of the theatre industry in the United States. Through the The Shubert Org ...

operated the theatre during much of the 1920s. The theatre suffered financially during the

and it closed its doors in 1931. It was demolished in 1936.

References

{{Coord, 41.7655, -72.6718, display=title Buildings and structures in Hartford County, Connecticut Buildings and structures demolished in 1936 Demolished theatres in the United States Theatres in Connecticut Hartford, Connecticut Theatres completed in 1896