Carpenter Theatre

The Carpenter Theatre opened in 1928. This Loew’s movie palace was designed by John Eberson, in his classic atmospheric style. The auditorium was designed to resemble a Mediterranean garden, with close to 1,800 seats, and 20 dressing rooms. The Carpenter Theatre is now run by Richmond CenterStage, who call it the “cornerstone of The Dominion Energy Center.”

EverGreene became involved with the Carpenter Theatre when it closed for renovations from 2004-2009. Earlier efforts to preserve John Eberson’s original Loew’s Richmond Theatre resulted in attempts to match the original paint schemes ‐‐from the intricate, ornate features to the textured walls with multiple layers of different color paints. Our conservators executed a historic finishes and paint study on the Carpenter Theatre interior to develop a palette that truly represented the intent of the original painters and architect.

The process involved scraping through layers and layers of paint and plaster to find about 40 original colors. Once the study was complete, EverGreene executed the decorative painting, plaster restoration, and fabrication, and installation of plaster ornament needed to bring the theatre back to its true original beauty.