Vail-Leavitt Music Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Vail-Leavitt Music Hall
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Vail-Leavitt Music Hall
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 18 Peconic Avenue, Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York, US |
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| Built | 1881 |
| Architect | David F. Vail, George M. Vail |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001809 |
| Added to NRHP | August 25, 1983 |
The Vail-Leavitt Music Hall is a historic theater located in Riverhead, New York, on the east end of Long Island. It was built in 1881 by David F. Vail, a local lumber dealer, with help from his son George M. Vail. This beautiful building has been a part of the community for over 140 years!
Contents
A Look Inside: The Music Hall's Early Days
The Vail-Leavitt Music Hall first opened its doors on October 11, 1881. It was designed like a small opera house, complete with a main theater and a special balcony. The person who designed this cool space was J. W. Flack.
How Did They Light Up the Stage?
When the music hall first opened, it used candles for light. Imagine watching a show by candlelight! Soon after, the Vail family started their own gas plant behind the theater. This meant they could install gas lights all around the horseshoe-shaped balcony. Gas lighting was used until July 1888, when the theater got a big upgrade: electric lights! This was a very modern change for the time.
What Else Was in the Building?
The ground floor of the building wasn't just for shows. It had storefronts for different businesses. The opera house, where all the performances happened, was located upstairs.
New Owners and Cool Inventions
In 1908, George M. Vail, who now owned the Music Hall, sold it to Simon Leavitt. Simon was a tailor and clothier. He rented out the upstairs theater space for plays and concerts.
Thomas Edison's Amazing Invention
Did you know that the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall played a part in movie history? In 1914, the famous inventor Thomas Edison used the Music Hall to show off his new invention called the kinetophone. This was an early attempt to make movies with sound that matched the picture. Imagine seeing one of the very first "talkies" right here!
From Theater to Roller Rink: Many Lives of the Hall
As time went on, newer and more modern theaters were built in the area. The Vail-Leavitt Music Hall changed its purpose many times to keep up. It was used as a restaurant, a roller skating rink, and even a place for betting.
Keeping the History Alive
Even with all these changes, some important parts of the original theater stayed the same. The beautiful balcony and the stage's proscenium (the arch around the stage) were kept intact. Eventually, Simon Leavitt's son, Theodore Leavitt, took over the family's clothing business. He closed the upstairs theater and used it just for storage until he retired in the 1970s.
Saving the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall
After Theodore Leavitt passed away, his wife, Mollie Leavitt, owned the music hall. In 1982, a group called the Council for the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall bought the building. They were able to do this with help from a grant. This Council is a special non-profit group that now takes care of and runs the theater.
Bringing Movies Back: The Mini-Cine
From the early 1980s to the late 1990s, old movies were shown in a small space downstairs. This was called the "Mini-Cine." Showing these movies helped the theater raise money to fix up and restore the music hall. Because of its important history, the theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1983.
The Music Hall Today
The Vail-Leavitt Music Hall had a grand re-opening on June 28, 2003. Today, it is a busy place! It hosts many different cultural events, community gatherings, and charity events throughout the year for everyone in the local community to enjoy. It's a single-screen theater with about 300 seats, including the balcony, and it's known for its beautiful Beaux-Arts style.
