Chris Militzer/Alexandria Living Magazine
The iconic Old Town Theater was purchased in 2017 by Asana Partners for $4.4 million.
The iconic OLD TOWN sign above the former Old Town Theater could be coming down.
Patagonia, the retailer taking up residence in the building, plans to take down the letters and replace it with a Patagonia sign. The building’s OLD TOWN letters may be cleaned up and become part of the retailer’s interior décor.
The request goes in front of the Alexandria Board of Architectural Review Wednesday, Feb. 19. “The applicant requests a Permit to Demolish/Capsulate (partial) and Certificate of Appropriateness for alterations to install a new storefront system and add signage on the existing marquee at the former Old Town Theater at 815 ½ King Street,” according to the request.
“The existing metal storefront system and ticket booth will be demolished to allow for the installation of a new metal storefront system. The existing marquee sign ‘Old Town’ will be removed, refurbished and installed as a focal point within the retail space.”
A representative from Patagonia told Alexandria Living Magazine last year that the building’s exterior would remain largely unchanged. "We will preserve as much as of the theatre’s history as possible and don’t intend to change the outside much at all," said Patagonia's Corey Simpson in March 2019.
The Board of Architectural Review recommends allowing the change ahead of Patagonia’s opening, set for later this year. In part, the reasons cited by the Board are that the ticket booth in place now was likely constructed in the mid-1900s, replacing earlier ticket booths. In addition, the lights inside the letters have been removed, as they were deteriorating, and the white facing was also removed years ago.
Asana Partners, LLC, purchased the Old Town Theater building in 2017, and announced in early 2019 that Patagonia, an outdoor apparel retailer, will occupy the space.
The closest Patagonia store to Alexandria is in Georgetown, though several other stores sell Patagonia products, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, REI and Nordstrom.
There are 33 Patagonia stores nationwide spread across 18 states and the District. Alexandria will be home to Patagonia’s only Virginia location.
About the Old Town Theater
According to the Office of Historic Alexandria, the Old Town Theater opened as the Richmond Theater in 1915. The 1914 permit indicated the space would be used for “moving pictures, bowling alleys and billiards.” (Estimated cost of construction according to the original permit application: $7,500.) In addition to an entertainment arena with a dance hall, the space served as a community meeting space, classroom space (in 1915) and more.
Renovations started in 1929, including the addition of the electric sign and interior upgrades. As vaudeville lost its popularity, the venue became a movie theater.
It became the Richmond Playhouse in the early 1960s with live performances again, but closed in 1972. In 1976, it reopened as a puppet theater, closed again, and opened as a two-screen movie theater in 1980. That closed in the late 1990s.
The next 15 years were a series of openings and closings for what had become the Old Town Theater: It opened as a comedy venue for several months in 2002, closed, and then opened in February 2004 as a movie theater. It closed yet again in early 2012, opened as a live-performance and event venue, and closed again – for the last time – in 2014. Jeffrey Yates bought the building in 2015. After he passed away, the Yates trust sold the building to Asana Partners for $4.4 million in 2017.
