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The Music Hall, in
Tarrytown Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, approximately north of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hu ...
, New York, United States, is located on West Main Street downtown. It is a brick structure in the Queen Anne
architectural style An architectural style is a set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...
erected in the late 19th century. In 1980, it was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. It is the oldest theater in
Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...
still used as a theater, and considered one of the county's finest non-residential applications of the Queen Anne Style. In 1901 it was one of the first theaters to show the new form of entertainment called motion pictures. Dave Brubeck, Louis Armstrong and
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...
are among the musicians who have performed there. Many classical music performances have been recorded there to take advantage of its excellent acoustics. It is one of only 6% of theaters in the United States built before 1900. It closed in 1976 due to neglect and structural problems. Shortly after it was listed on the Register, a local not-for-profit bought it and restored it. It has remained in operation since it was reopened a few years later, with several other renovations. More notable artists have performed there since then and it has been used in several films and television commercials.


Building

The Music Hall is located on the northeast corner of the intersection of West Main and Kaldenberg Place, one block west of Broadway (
U.S. Route 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...
). The surrounding neighborhood is a densely developed urban core, with many two-story commercial and
mixed-use Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to som ...
buildings. Some mature trees grow above building height, and there are a few parking lots between and behind the buildings. The terrain slopes gradually towards the
Hudson River The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
0.6 mile (1 km) to the west.


Exterior

The building itself is a two-and-a-half-story three-by-seven- bay structure. Its south (front) facade and the first three bays on the east and west have a rough-cut
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
foundation Foundation may refer to: * Foundation (nonprofit), a type of charitable organization ** Foundation (United States law), a type of charitable organization in the U.S. ** Private foundation, a charitable organization that, while serving a good cause ...
and brick facing. The remaining bays and the north elevation have a brick foundation with stucco and half-timber facing. A
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
water table The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. T ...
at the southwest corner appears to be the foundation due to the slope exposing it. Atop the building is a
hipped roof A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope (although a tented roof by definition is a hipped roof with steeply pitched slopes rising to a peak). Thus, ...
shingled in slate with a
cast iron Cast iron is a class of iron– carbon alloys with a carbon content more than 2%. Its usefulness derives from its relatively low melting temperature. The alloy constituents affect its color when fractured: white cast iron has carbide impur ...
parapet A parapet is a barrier that is an extension of the wall at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony, walkway or other structure. The word comes ultimately from the Italian ''parapetto'' (''parare'' 'to cover/defend' and ''petto'' 'chest/breast'). ...
railing around its flat central section. On the south the facade is intricately and elaborately detailed, with square corner towers and a
gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...
-roofed middle section flanked by two smaller square quoined towers. Two small shops with flank the main entrance. Their windows are topped with panels of
frosted glass Frosted glass is produced by the sandblasting or acid etching of clear sheet glass. This creates a pitted surface on one side of the glass pane and has the effect of rendering the glass translucent by scattering the light which passes through, ...
set with designs of stained glass and lead, panels that also top the nearby doors leading to stairs to the upper floors. Above the main entrance is the marquee. Its flat top has another iron railing; illuminated lettering on it spells out "Music Hall" on all three sides. Two
terra cotta Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous. In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
belt courses with paneling between set off the second story, with large corbels on the corner towers. The upper one forms the sill of the one-over-one double-hung sash windows with painted wood surrounds and glass transoms topped by terra cotta lintels. On the towers flanking the center, these windows are additionally topped by triangular panels. In the middle a door to the balcony creates a tripartite version of the window with an additional two flanking windows. Above it is an arched brick, stone and terra cotta panel with "Music Hall" spelled out in the semicircle below large keystone-shaped arrangements. The "18" and "85" on the sides indicates the construction date. A terracotta and
sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
string course tops the windows on the second story, with corbelling between it and the corniced roofline. Similar, but more intricate decoration graces the flanking towers at the center. The gable field has an eight-pane double casement window, with the brick and terra cotta giving way to fish-scale wood shingles midway up. Above the window is a bell-shaped hood with finial. The roofline has the same treatment as the flat portions of the roof. The southeast and southwest facades of the corner towers have a small arched window with fanlight flanked by two small smooth wooden Doric
pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...
s. Similar openings in the other sides have been shingled over in slate. Atop the towers are bell-cast roofs shingled in slate and topped by finials as well with
weather vane A wind vane, weather vane, or weathercock is an instrument used for showing the direction of the wind. It is typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building. The word ''vane'' comes from the Old English word , m ...
s. The center flanking towers have flared pyramidal roofs and finials.
Fenestration Fenestration may refer to: * Fenestration (architecture), the design, construction, or presence of openings in a building * Used in relation to fenestra in anatomy, medicine and biology * Fenestration, holes in the rudder A rudder is a primar ...
on the stucco and half-timber section in the rear consists of six rectangular windows and five doors. They are placed irregularly on the two stories. The only decorative touch is the triangular
pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...
on one
dormer window A dormer is a roofed structure, often containing a window, that projects vertically beyond the plane of a pitched roof. A dormer window (also called ''dormer'') is a form of roof window. Dormers are commonly used to increase the usable spac ...
at the roof.


Interior

The lobby uses mostly
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphose ...
and limestone with brass trim. Detailing uses classically-inspired motifs. To the rear, the large entertainment space has been extensively modified from its original design. It has a pitched floor with 843 permanent seats. Plaster panels on the wall conceal the original wooden arches. Silhouettes of figures in early 20th-century dress decorate wall niches in the panels as well as stair landings and hallways. Similar landscapes in silhouette fill the domes beneath the balcony. Higher up, the plaster panels on the arched ceiling
spandrel A spandrel is a roughly triangular space, usually found in pairs, between the top of an arch and a rectangular frame; between the tops of two adjacent arches or one of the four spaces between a circle within a square. They are frequently fill ...
s and
frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...
have been painted gold, as have the classical elements on the stage wall. The plaster ceiling medallions from which the chandeliers hang are original. Backstage the original ceiling arches are intact, as are the murals and door surrounds. Other original finishing can also be found in one of the second-floor apartments, now used as office space.


History

In 1885, William L. Wallace, a local chocolate manufacturer, had the idea to build a theater in the heart of Tarrytown. The building was to be
mixed-use Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to som ...
with apartments and commercial space, as well as a large entertainment area in the rear. Architect Philip Edmunds's design exemplified the Queen Anne style in its mix of materials, as advocated by
Richard Norman Shaw Richard Norman Shaw RA (7 May 1831 – 17 November 1912), also known as Norman Shaw, was a British architect who worked from the 1870s to the 1900s, known for his country houses and for commercial buildings. He is considered to be among the g ...
, considered to have established the style. It cost Wallace $50,000 ($ in modern dollars) to build and opened in December. The first night's performance was instrumental selections from ''
The Mikado ''The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen Gilbert and Sullivan, operatic collaborations. It opened on 14 March 1885, in London, whe ...
'' with a quartet vocal performance of "Moonlight on the Lake". Originally, the performance space had a flat floor with removable seating. The stage is not believed to have been movable, although that was possible at the time. The wooden spandrels were visible, as was elaborate classical detailing, such as the molded consoles supporting the balcony and elaborate
brackets A bracket is either of two tall fore- or back-facing punctuation marks commonly used to isolate a segment of text or data from its surroundings. Typically deployed in symmetric pairs, an individual bracket may be identified as a 'left' or ' ...
supporting the main floor posts. The more flexible interior space allowed the theater to host all sorts of events, including several roller skating contests in 1886. It was altered in 1901 to accommodate motion pictures, a new form of entertainment it was one of the first theaters to show. The following year, the wealthy residents of Tarrytown sponsored the first of several lavish annual flower shows.
John D. Rockefeller John Davison Rockefeller Sr. (July 8, 1839 – May 23, 1937) was an American business magnate and philanthropist. He has been widely considered the wealthiest American of all time and the richest person in modern history. Rockefeller was ...
often loaned palm trees grown in the greenhouses at
Kykuit Kykuit ( ), known also as the John D. Rockefeller Estate, is a 40-room historic house museum in Pocantico Hills, a hamlet in the town of Mount Pleasant, New York 25 miles north of New York City. The house was built for oil tycoon and Rockefelle ...
, his nearby estate, for use in sets. The original gas chandeliers were replaced with electric ones in 1910. In 1915 another alteration moved the main entrance from the west facade to its current location. That year it hosted the Cotton Ball, a major
women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
rally. Other political events the Music Hall hosted during the
Progressive Era The Progressive Era (late 1890s – late 1910s) was a period of widespread social activism and political reform across the United States focused on defeating corruption, monopoly, waste and inefficiency. The main themes ended during Am ...
included speeches by
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
and
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
. Performers of that era included Antonín Dvořák and
Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...
. A further remodeling in 1922 changed the interior to its present configuration, sloping the floor, adding permanent seats and covering the wall spandrels with plaster. The new interior added some Art Nouveau and
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
elements. By 1930, the theater was exclusively showing films. It continued to do so until 1976, when television and larger multi-screen theaters had undercut its business. The village proposed that the vacant theater be torn down to make way for a parking lot. That fate was avoided around the time it was listed on the Register. In 1980 the Friends of the Mozartina Musical Arts Conservatory, a
not-for-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
, purchased the abandoned theater to
preserve The word preserve may refer to: Common uses * Fruit preserves, a type of sweet spread or condiment * Nature reserve, an area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or other special interest, usually protected Arts, entertainment, and media ...
it and establish a center for the performing arts. It was necessary to repair electrical and plumbing infrastructure damaged by years of neglect. For 23 years the Music Hall was run by a volunteer staff, primarily local music professor Berthold Ringeisen and his wife Helen. Due to its wooden arches, the theater's acoustics are excellent enough that many classical music performances have been recorded there. In 2009, the
Canadian Brass The Canadian Brass is a Canadian brass quintet formed in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, by Charles Daellenbach (tuba) and Gene Watts (trombone), with horn player Graeme Page and trumpeters Stuart Laughton and Bill Phillips completing the quintet. ...
could be heard clearly in the rear of the theater without amplification. Bjorn Olsson was hired as the theater's first full-time professional director in 2003. That year the theater spent $100,000 to re-roof one side of the building, replace the stage curtain, spotlights and sandbags. Four years later, in 2007, it bought the property behind the theater to use as staff parking and for a possible future
loading dock A loading dock or loading bay is an area of a building where goods vehicles (usually road or rail) are loaded and unloaded. They are commonly found on commercial and industrial buildings, and warehouses in particular. Loading docks may be exterio ...
. The year afterwards, a local
Junior League The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (Junior League or JL) is a private, nonprofit educational women's volunteer organization aimed at improving communities and the social, cultural, and political fabric of civil society. With ...
chapter raised most of the money to replace the original air conditioning after it failed. The restrooms were made disabled accessible in 2011. Today, the theater hosts performances 180 days a year. Several films and television commercials have been shot in the building, including ''
The Preacher's Wife ''The Preacher's Wife'' is a 1996 American comedy-drama film directed by Penny Marshall and starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, and Courtney B. Vance. It is a remake of the 1947 film ''The Bishop's Wife'', which in turn was based on t ...
'' (1996), ''
The Impostors ''The Impostors'' is a 1998 American farce motion picture directed, written and produced by Stanley Tucci, starring Oliver Platt, Tucci, Alfred Molina, Tony Shalhoub, Steve Buscemi, and Billy Connolly. The film, in which Oliver Platt and Stanley ...
'' (1998), ''
The Secret Lives of Dentists ''The Secret Lives of Dentists'' is a 2002 drama film directed by Alan Rudolph. The screenplay was written by Craig Lucas, based on the novella ''The Age of Grief'' by Jane Smiley. It had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festiv ...
'' (2003), ''
Mona Lisa Smile ''Mona Lisa Smile'' is a 2003 American drama film produced by Revolution Studios and Columbia Pictures in association with Red Om Films Productions, directed by Mike Newell, written by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal, and starring Julia R ...
'' (2003), '' Game 6'' (2005), and '' The Good Shepherd'', a 2006 film directed by Robert De Niro which filmed on location at the Music Hall in November 2005. More recently, exterior and interior scenes from the 2011 film, ''
Henry's Crime ''Henry's Crime'' is a 2010 American romantic comedy crime film directed by Malcolm Venville and starring Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga, and James Caan. The film follows Henry (Reeves), who goes to jail for a bank robbery he did not commit. Once ...
'', starring Keanu Reeves, were shot at the Tarrytown Music Hall in January 2010. Random Farms Kids Theater (a Westchester-based non-profit children's theater and founded by Anya Wallach in 1996), Ars Viva Chamber Orchestra (a premiere chamber orchestra), and Westchester Symphonic Winds (an adult community-based 60-piece wind and percussion ensemble) are all currently recognized as resident companies of the Tarrytown Music Hall. In 2012, the alternative music group
guster Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel began practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and ...
filmed a DVD at the Music Hall during their acoustic tour. In 2018, The Music Hall introduced a resident theater arts program for young people called The Tarrytown Music Hall Academy, offering a variety of workshops to kids in the Hudson Valley and beyond with a focus on the process of creating theater arts, including lighting, costume, and set design, play writing, stage combat choreography, as well as performance.


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Westchester County, New York __NOTOC__ This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in northern Westchester County, New York, excluding the city of Peekskill, which has its own list. This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and distric ...


References


External links


Tarrytown Music Hall official website
{{Authority control Tarrytown, New York Music venues in New York (state) Art Deco architecture in New York (state) Tourist attractions in Westchester County, New York Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in New York (state) Queen Anne architecture in New York (state) Music venues completed in 1885 Buildings and structures in Westchester County, New York Art Nouveau architecture in New York (state) National Register of Historic Places in Westchester County, New York