|
Academy of Music
Photo courtesy of Virginia
Department of Historic Resources |
Lynchburg's Academy of Music was built as a vaudeville theater and opera
house, one of the few surviving in Virginia. Completed in 1905, it was designed
by the local architectural firm of Frye and Chesterman, which embellished
Lynchburg with many of its best buildings. The theater burned in 1911, but
was rebuilt within its walls under the direction of architect C. K. Howell,
with Lynchburg's J. M. B. Lewis as associate. The present facade is a sophisticated
essay in the Neoclassical style recalling 18th-century English Palladianism.
The elegant interior is enriched with plasterwork decorations and a colorful
painted ceiling of clouds, muses and cherubs. In its heyday, the Academy
boasted Sarah Bernhardt, Pavlova and Paderewski among its performers. Vacant
for some 40 years, the theater has now been restored and returned to its
place in the rich cultural life of the city.
The Academy of Music is located at 600 Main St. in Lynchburg. The
Academy was preserved by several groups of Trustees, including the current
group, The Academy of Music Theatre, Inc., which is committed to reviving
performances, holding classes and placing the Academy back in the forefront
of contemporary culture. For information about performances, visit the
Academy's
website or call 434-528-3256. The Academy of Music has also been documented
by the Historic American Buildings Survey |