Holliday Street Theatre Tablet
The Holliday Street Theatre used to be located directly across from Baltimore’s City Hall, at the present site of War Memorial Plaza. Junius Brutus Booth, the father of John Wilkes Booth, made his first American appearance in the historic playhouse, as did the Star-Spangled Banner. Aside from Philadelphia’s Walnut Street Theatre, the Holliday was the oldest in the country, having been built in 1785. A Plaque, located at the base of War Memorial Plaza’s southern flagstaff, marks the original spot of the building.
[Source]
“Built by Thomas Wignell and Alexander Reinagle in 1794, it was a wooden structure and stood on Holliday Street near Peale’s Museum and directly across from the site of Baltimore’s future City Hall. Although it was officially the New Theatre, it soon became known as the Holliday. Later managers included William Warren and William B. Wood. After playing there John Howard Payne noted, “The attraction was the acting, not the scenery, of which the less said the better, nor the comfort experienced by the audience, since the seats were long, uncushioned benches without backs.” In 1813 it was replaced by a brick structure called the Baltimore Theatre, but again called the Holliday by Baltimoreans. “The Star Spangled Banner” received its first public performance there in 1819. The playhouse burned in 1873 and was rebuilt with a similar facade by John T. Ford, finally officially called the Holliday Street Theatre. Management was later assumed by John W. Albaugh. Long known as Baltimore’s “Old Drury,” it remained an important playhouse until shortly before its demolition in 1917.”
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