Harold K. Smith Playhouse

About Harold K. Smith Playhouse

Theatre Jacksonville, located in Jacksonville, Florida (Duval County), is a community theater that holds the title of the oldest continuously-operating community theater in Florida and one of the oldest in the United States. Its venue, also referred to as the Little Theatre, was recognized as a historic site and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

The Little Theatre company was established in Jacksonville in 1919 and was later renamed “Little Theatre of Jacksonville” in 1926. In 1927, construction on a new building in the San Marco neighborhood began, located at 2032 San Marco Boulevard, was constructed with financial support from cigar magnate Carl Swisher. The first premiere, Boy meets Girl, was held on January 4, 1938.

As the Little Theatre of Jacksonville grew in popularity as a performance venue, it was renamed Theatre Jacksonville in 1969. The mayor at the time, Hans Tanzler, proclaimed it to be Jacksonville’s official theater.

In 1991, the Little Theatre building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The Harold K. Smith Playhouse Endowment was established in June 1997 with a $500,000 donation for facility maintenance. In October 2000, after the completion of a theater facade renovation, the facility was officially dedicated as the Harold K. Smith Playhouse.