Howard Athenaeum

Howard Athenaeum (Boston). Built in 1843 as a church by the Millerite sect, its congregation abandoned the site following disappointment with the minister's promise that the end of the world would occur in 1844. It was converted to a theatre in 1846, and for several decades thereafter it vied with the Boston Museum as that city's leading playhouse. While the Museum relied largely on its great stock company, the Howard became the home of leading touring actors. Edwin Booth, Charlotte Cushman, and other stellar performers played there regularly. In the early 1870s, faced with increasing competition, the theatre became a vaudeville house and in 1920 turned to bump‐and‐grind burlesque. The city refused to renew its license in 1953, so the auditorium was dark for many years. In 1960 the Howard National Theatre and Museum Committee was formed to raise $1,500,000 to refurbish “Boston's most celebrated theatre” and restore it to the legitimate fold. However, before the committee could realize its ambition the building burned to the ground in 1961.