Broadway’s role as a cultural hub dates back to the early twentieth century with the opening of the Society Theatre, Capitol Hill’s first neighborhood theater.

Although the Society Theatre is often said to have officially opened in late 1911, records suggest the building was constructed and outfitted as early as 1909. That year, a Kimball tubular-pneumatic organ was installed—clear evidence that the space was designed for performances or film exhibition well before its grand debut. 

Still, the earliest known newspaper references to the Society Theatre’s programming—such as a listing for “four reels of moving pictures and illustrated songs”—don’t appear until December 1911. This suggests the theater may have operated quietly or sporadically prior to its formal opening in what is now known as a soft opening.

In 1921, the theater was renamed the Broadway Theatre, cementing its role as a mainstay of entertainment on Capitol Hill. Though the original building no longer stands, the site marks an important chapter in Broadway’s transformation into a vibrant cultural and commercial corridor.