Vail-Leavitt Music Hall

Vail-Leavitt Music Hall is a historic theater and former movie theater in Riverhead, on the eastern end of Long Island, New York. The building was constructed in 1881 by David F. Vail, a local lumber dealer, with assistance from his son George M. Vail. It opened on October 11, 1881, as a combined commercial and entertainment property: storefronts occupied the ground floor, while the upper level contained a small opera house designed by J. W. Flack. Its horseshoe balcony, stage, and proscenium gave the auditorium the character of a miniature opera house. The venue initially operated by candlelight. The Vails subsequently established a gas plant behind the building, allowing gas fixtures to be installed around the balcony. When electricity reached the area in July 1888, the hall was adapted to electric lighting. In 1908, George M. Vail, by then the sole owner, sold the building to Simon Leavitt, a tailor and clothier. Leavitt continued to lease the upstairs space for theatrical use. The building also has an association with early motion-picture technology: in 1914, Thomas Edison used the Music Hall as a demonstration location for the kinetophone, an early system intended to synchronize recorded sound with film. As newer theaters emerged in the surrounding area, the building's uses changed. It served at different times as a restaurant, roller-skating rink, and betting parlor. Despite these changes, the balcony and stage proscenium survived. After Simon Leavitt's son Theodore assumed control of the clothing business, the upstairs auditorium was eventually closed to public use and used primarily for storage. Theodore's widow, Mollie Leavitt, later retained ownership until the property was acquired in 1982 by the Council for the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall. The acquisition was supported by a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant arranged through the Town of Riverhead's community-development administration. The council is a nonprofit charitable corporation responsible for overseeing and operating the venue. During the 1980s and 1990s, restoration fundraising included screenings of older films in a small downstairs space known as the Mini-Cine. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1983. Following restoration work, the hall held a grand reopening on June 28, 2003. It remains an active local venue for concerts, cultural programs, civic gatherings, charitable events, and other community activities.

Vail-Leavitt Music Hall was built in Riverhead, New York, in 1881 by David F. Vail, a local lumber dealer, with help from his son George M. Vail. The building opened on October 11 of that year. Its lower floor was designed for commercial storefronts, while the upper floor contained a theater modeled on a compact opera house. Architect J. W. Flack designed the theater interior, including the horseshoe balcony and stage arrangement that remain central to the building's historic identity. The hall's lighting reflects the technological transition of the late nineteenth century. Performances began under candlelight, but the Vail family established a gas plant behind the building and installed gas fixtures around the balcony. Electric lighting was introduced after electricity reached the local area in July 1888. George M. Vail became the sole owner before selling the building in 1908 to Simon Leavitt, a tailor and clothier. Leavitt leased the upstairs theater for performances. In 1914, the site was used by Thomas Edison for a kinetophone demonstration, linking the hall to early experiments in combining recorded sound with moving images. During the twentieth century, the building was repeatedly adapted to changing local needs. It operated at various times as a restaurant, roller-skating rink, and betting parlor. Although these conversions changed the building's functions, the historic balcony and proscenium were retained. After Simon Leavitt's son Theodore took over the clothing business, the upstairs space was closed and used for storage. Theodore's widow, Mollie Leavitt, remained the owner until the property was transferred in 1982 to the Council for the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall. The acquisition was made possible through a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant coordinated through the Town of Riverhead's community-development officer, Robert Schemer. The council, organized as a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit, became responsible for preservation, programming, and operation of the venue. Restoration fundraising included film screenings from the early 1980s through the late 1990s in a downstairs room called the Mini-Cine. The Music Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 25, 1983. Following restoration work, it reopened ceremonially on June 28, 2003. The active venue now hosts music, cultural programming, civic functions, charitable events, and other community activities, preserving the building as both a historic landmark and a working local theater.

• 2003

  Grand reopening

  [1]Vail-Leavitt Music Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The restored venue held its grand reopening on June 28 and resumed use as a community cultural venue.

• 1983

  National Register listing

  [1]Vail-Leavitt Music Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 25.

• 1982

  Nonprofit acquisition

  [1]Vail-Leavitt Music Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The Council for the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall acquired the property with support from a HUD grant and Riverhead's community-development administration.

• 1914

  Kinetophone demonstration

  [1]Vail-Leavitt Music Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Thomas Edison used the hall as a demonstration location for the kinetophone, an early synchronized sound-and-film system.

• 1908

  Sale to Simon Leavitt

  [1]Vail-Leavitt Music Hallen.wikipedia.org

  George M. Vail sold the building to Simon Leavitt, who continued to lease the upstairs space for theatrical use.

• 1888

  Introduction of electric lighting

  [1]Vail-Leavitt Music Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The hall added electric lights after electricity became available in the surrounding area, replacing earlier candle and gas illumination.

• 1881

  Construction and opening

  [1]Vail-Leavitt Music Hallen.wikipedia.org

  David F. Vail and George M. Vail completed the building, which opened as a mixed commercial and theatrical property on October 11.

A locally rooted historic performing-arts and community venue that combines preservation of a nineteenth-century opera-house interior with contemporary cultural, civic, and charitable programming.

• Performing-arts venue · 1881

  Historic theater auditorium

  The principal offering is the preserved upstairs auditorium, a compact opera-house-style space designed by J. W. Flack. Its horseshoe balcony, stage, and proscenium survived multiple changes of use and form the architectural core of the venue's present cultural and event programming.

• Events and performances · 2003

  Community cultural programming

  The hall presents and accommodates music performances, cultural activities, civic gatherings, charitable events, and other programs serving Riverhead and the surrounding Long Island community.

• Film screenings

  Mini-Cine

  The Mini-Cine was a small downstairs screening space used from the early 1980s through the late 1990s to show older films. Its screenings helped generate funds for restoration of the Music Hall.

• 2003

  Grand reopening after restorationOther

  Background

  Preservation fundraising and rehabilitation efforts had been conducted over many years, including film screenings in the downstairs Mini-Cine.

  Action taken

  The Music Hall held a grand reopening on June 28, 2003.

  Aftermath

  The building returned to active use for performances, cultural programs, civic functions, and charitable events.

  Source

• 1982

  Transition to nonprofit preservation and operationStrategy

  Background

  After decades of changing commercial uses and a period in which the upper theater was used mainly for storage, the historic building required organized preservation and restoration.

  Action taken

  The Council for the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall acquired the property with assistance from a HUD grant and assumed responsibility for its preservation and operation.

  Aftermath

  The council developed fundraising and restoration activity, eventually leading to the hall's 2003 grand reopening as an active community venue.

  Source

1. 1Vail-Leavitt Music Hallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Vail-Leavitt Music Hall official websitevail-leavitt.org