Restored stage Constitution Hall
Toni Bolling Lutter
Regent Marjorie Nelson, Gila Butte DAR, announced that the chapter has “adopted” a seat in Constitution Hall, the concert hall located in the historic Washington home of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). As part of its ongoing restoration, DAR offered members and friends the opportunity to sponsor a seat and be recognized on the President General’s Donor Wall.
DAR is currently in Phase III of its Constitution Hall restoration process. Phase I addressed the main and downstairs lobbies, as well as the President General’s Reception Room, and Phase II focused on the stage which now features a decorative four-panel curtain harkening back to the original curtain painted with historic American Revolution era scenes. The third and final restoration phase will rehabilitate the Hall itself.
Constitution Hall was designed by prominent architect John Russell Pope, who also designed the National Archives and the Jefferson Memorial, and is a Neoclassical design constructed of Alabama limestone. Located at 1776 D Street NW, it was built to house DAR’s annual convention after membership delegations outgrew DAR’s Memorial Continental Hall. It is the largest auditorium in Washington, D.C., completed in 1929 as part of the DAR complex which covers an entire city block across from the White House Ellipse.
During 2019, DAR welcomed nearly 19,000 new members, including Amy Dickinson, its one-millionth member, whose “Ask Amy” column is carried in more than 150 newspapers across the country, reaching an estimated 22 million readers daily. In 2019, Gila Butte won the three-year membership “Trekker” award from the Arizona DAR. The chapter is one of 3,000 around the nation, with 41 chapters in Arizona.
Gila Butte DAR meets in Sun Lakes and welcomes membership inquiries. Expert genealogical assistance is readily available. Women over 18 who can prove bloodline descent from a patriot of the American Revolution are eligible, without regard for religion, race, or national origin. Please call 706-255-4847 or go to the website, gilabutte.arizonadar.org, for membership information.