The Virginia Theater is located at 203 West Park Avenue Champaign, Illinois. Construction was begun early in 1921 and it opened on December 28, 1921. The builder and general c was contractor was Almond Whitfield Stoolman.  Building costs were $400,000.  The architect was C. Howard Crane and the architectural firm of Gill and Jackson. The architectural style was a blend of Spanish Renaissance and Italian Renaissance Revival.

     The building’s exterior feature classic brick facade accessory cream colored terra cotta details.

Key Exterior Elements

     The arched windows: Three large, two story arched windows dominate the upper facade framed by ornate terra cotta molding.

     The Marquee: A prominent, brightly lit Art Deco canopy hangs over the sidewalk, which was added during a 1939 RKO remodel to  replace the 1921 original.

       The Materials: Red-brown pressed brick forms the main structure, contrasted sharply by the white tile accents.

     The Cresting: ornamental terra cotta shield motifs and a decorative corn ice line the very top edge of the building.

    Seating was 817 main floor and balcony 646 seats.  During reeling the number of seats was reduced.

Timeline of theater ownership

Charles CC Pyle and A.W. Stoolman.(1921-:1930)

     The promoter was CC Pyle.  He partnered with A.W. Stoolmam.  They were joint owners

RKO Pictures (1930- 1967) The major Hollywood studio held a       long-term commercial lease and operational control over        the venue for nearly four decades

The Stoolman–Julian.family (1967–1968) A.W. Stoolman’s        Elizabeth Virginia Stool man and her husband briefly                 reclaimed direct control