Proctor's Theatre, Historic theater in Fourth Street, Troy, United States
Proctor's Theatre is a five-story building with a Neo-Gothic terra cotta facade decorated with gargoyles, dramatic masks, and rusticated columns that rise to lion heads at ground level. The building was designed with seating for approximately 2,300 people and served as a major entertainment venue.
Frederick Freeman Proctor commissioned architect Arland W. Johnson to build this theater in 1914, and it became the largest theater in New York at that time. The building was constructed during an era when live entertainment venues were reaching peak importance.
The theater served as a major venue for live performances before transitioning to film screenings in the late 1920s. This shift reflects how entertainment evolved during that period.
The building is located on Fourth Street and remains visible from the outside, with its original architecture intact. Today it houses offices, so it functions more as something to view from the street unless special events open it to visitors.
The building featured concrete ramps instead of traditional stairs to access its two balcony levels, an unusual feature for entertainment venues of that era. This design choice enabled smoother foot traffic and reflects early innovative construction thinking.
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