With its 21st-century makeover complete, Washington Hall is ready for its public debut.
Over the summer and early fall, a major renovation of Notre Dame’s landmark Victorian-era theater was accomplished.
Washington Hall was built in 1881 and its interior decorated in 1894 by Louis Rusca and Luigi Gregori, the artists who also decorated the interior of the Main Building and Basilica of the Sacred Heart. The elaborate decor was painted over in the 1950s, but much of it was uncovered or recreated during this summer’s renovation led by craftsmen from Conrad Schmitt Studios of New Berlin, Wisconsin.
There are new seats, new carpeting, a new floor and gleams of gold leaf. The auditorium seats 546 people, the same capacity as before.
The first Notre Dame campus production in the renovated auditorium, Asian Allure: The Mystery of Love, hosted by the Asian American Association, was held on Friday November 1 and Saturday November 2.
These images by University photographer Matt Cashore ’94 give a sense of the scope and beauty of the space in the auditorium’s 143rd year.
