McIntire Amphitheatre facelift turns into reconstructive surgery

January 23, 2026
The 1921 UVA Final Exercises ceremonty in the McIntire Amphitheatre

In 1921, UVA Final Exercises take place for the first time in the McIntire Amphitheatre, where they would remain until the 1940s. (Special Collections Library photo)

Work on the University of Virginia McIntire Amphitheatre started out as a roof replacement and cosmetic touch-up, but has evolved into structural repairs.

“The project started a couple years ago, and we were going to remove the failing coating that was put on in 1994 over the original stucco, replace the roof and do a little groundwater work in the yard,” project manager Amy Moses said. “When we took off the coating, we started to notice we had problems.”

Removing the stucco coating, which had been applied to cover cracks in the plaster, revealed structural issues caused mostly by the shifting and settling of the fill underneath the building. Workers are now anchoring the building so that bedrock becomes the building’s stabilizing point instead of the fill. Braces were erected around the amphitheater wall to stabilize it while the work was being done.

Workers making repairs to the rear wall of the McIntire Amphitheatre

Workers shore up the rear wall of the McIntire Amphitheatre before drilling micropiles to support the building. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

“We installed micropiles – basically a screw that goes down into bedrock – to which we attach the concrete beam,” Moses said.

The amphitheater is not like other structures on the Grounds. Designed by Fiske Kimball, UVA’s first architecture dean, it was completed in 1921 as a gathering place larger than any then-existing University building.

“The whole building is constructed out of terra cotta blocks,” Moses said. “Some of them have grout; some don’t. Most of it doesn’t have rebar where original drawings call for it, but we did find some rebar that we hadn’t found during our probes. The blocks themselves are fine, except for where the building has moved, and that’s where you see the cracking radiating through.”

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Terra cotta blocks are similar to concrete blocks used in modern construction. Some are filled with a cement/lime mixture, and others are hollow. Some blocks contain reinforcing bars or “rebar” to stabilize the building. The plaster was applied directly to the terra cotta blocks.

“We were in a very interesting construction technology era when the amphitheater was built. It is a time before standardization of rebar, which means that the metal connections and square rebar we find especially interesting. Terra cotta is also not a common building material we see around the University, ,” Moses said.

The McIntire Amphitheatre was built for $85,000 in 1921, which translates into about $1.5 million today. Paul Goodloe McIntire, a Charlottesville philanthropist, donated the money.

Workers making repairs to the stage of the McIntire Amphitheatre

Workers brace the wall on the stage section of the McIntire Amphitheatre. (Photo by Matt Riley, University Communications)

The amphitheater was finished in 1921, in time for the University’s centenary celebration, which had been postponed due to World War I. It was intended for theatrical and musical performances and originally had a large pipe organ. It was also the site of the University’s commencement ceremonies until the 1940s, when they moved to the Lawn.

By the mid-20th century, however, the building was neglected. In 1967, the grassy space in front of the stage was paved to accommodate the University’s growing parking needs. But this sparked ire in many corners of the University community and, in 1973, the University restored the grassy area.

Within a few years, however, plans were afoot to demolish the amphitheater and turn the space into a rare books library, four stories tall with an underground parking structure. Construction was to begin around 1976, but an economic downturn quashed the plans.

Moses found the amphitheater is a popular venue on the Grounds. She knew it had been used for some large community gatherings, but not the extent of its common use.

“What I hadn’t realized were the daily activities,” she said. “When we took the building offline for events, I would get lists of who wanted to use it. I hadn’t truly appreciated how much the community uses this facility, let alone just the classes that pop out during the day.”

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Matt Kelly

University News Associate Office of University Communications

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