First opened in 1928, the Lincoln Theatre is a landmark in African-American and jazz history. Having recently completed a $13.5 million renovation funded by a partnership of public and private support, the Lincoln has reopened as a multi-use, state-of-the-art performing arts and education center serving the diversity of the Columbus and central Ohio community and ten resident Columbus arts organizations. The restoration is the foundation of revitalization plans for the King-Lincoln District, providing a bustling hub of activity 365 days a year with performances, rehearsals, and classes in the performing arts, as well as a wide variety of community events such as film festivals, meetings, and receptions.
A Community Theatre for the King-Lincoln District
In the 1930s and ‘40s, downtown Columbus’ near east side was home to an affluent African-American business and entertainment district, known today as the King-Lincoln District. At the time, segregation actually fueled the commercial and cultural development of the area, as African-American consumers could only patronize the African-American businesses in the neighborhood. As a result, a thriving, self-sufficient community developed which celebrated its cultural heritage and created its own opportunity.
James Albert “Al” Jackson, a very successful African-American real estate owner and entrepreneur, and his partner James “Ernie” Williams built, owned, and operated the District’s Empress Theatre, the Empress Soda Grill, and the Crystal Slipper Ballroom. According to oral history, Jackson was angered by the purchase of the nearby Vernon Theatre by a white-owned theatre chain with a “No Admission to Negroes” policy, and decided to build a grand and beautiful theatre especially for Columbus’ African-American population.
Open on Thanksgiving Day
Jackson and Williams debuted the Lincoln Theatre, originally named the Ogden Theatre and Ballroom, on Thanksgiving Day 1928. Developed, designed, constructed, and managed entirely by African-Americans, the Lincoln Theatre quickly became the place to see and be seen. Her rich Egyptian Revival décor boasted architectural details inspired by the Temple of Karnak including massive, ornately gilded stage pillars and a vibrant symbol of Isis above the proscenium arch. Not long after the theatre’s celebrated opening, a precocious, three-year-old Sammy Davis Jr. spontaneously debuted his talents on the Ogden stage, his first performance in a career that would span more than 60 years.
