Donk’s Theater in Hudgins, one of Mathews County’s most iconic landmarks, collapsed late Friday night under the weight of several inches of snow, its tin roof sadly sunken over the auditorium.

The lobby in the front of the building was left standing, the photos of country singers who had performed there—Dolly Parton, Kitty Wells, and Ernest Tubb among them—still clinging to the walls, said Donk’s head of publicity and public relations Betsy Ripley.

The stage in the rear managed to withstand the collapse, as well, said Donk’s talent and production manager Lynda Smith Greve, with the Christmas tree from the last show of 2015 still in place on stage, now decorated with pink insulation that fell from the ceiling.

Mathews residents are mourning the loss of the historic structure, which is listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. Social media exploded with news of the collapse shortly after it happened...