Lost Washington: The Rosalia Theater

The Rosalia, or Rosa Lee as it was pronounced by many children, was built in 1922 for about $6,500. It was located at 218-220 F Street, SW. The Rosalia was built and operated by George Nelson and named after his deceased daughter. Nelson used black builders exclusively and it was the first theater in the District to be built and operated by an African-American, although the Jewell was an earlier Black-owned theater.

The Rosalia had a capacity of 350 seats. It was purchased by the Lichtman organization in the early 1930s and was razed in 1951. Historic image courtesy of Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of American History, Archives Center.