Thank you Warren for updating the links to the images of this theatre. My grandfather, Frederick M. Merrow (1879-1979), F. F. Proctor’s nephew, was the first manager of the New Rochelle theatre. Proctor lived in Larchmont and owned a block on Park Avenue facing Long Island Sound that included his own home, matching homes for his two daughters, a home where my family lived, and the Hotel Bevan (now a private residence). F. F. Proctor invited the stars performing in his theatres in the New York area to stay at the Hotel Bevan and it remained a popular theatre hotel until the beginning of WWII.
Warren, I have added substantially to John William Merrow’s biography at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Merrow
He was my great-uncle. If it was you who put him up on wikipedia, thanks.
Great question, Karen. If Warren (above) or someone else here cannot help you, try asking the Town Historian at the Woodbury Historical Society, 543 Route 32, Highland Mills, NY 10930. F.F. Proctor had an unbelieveable summer estate in the village of Central Valley, NY called “Proctoria”. There is an individual in the historical society who probably knows more about F.F. Proctor, his family, and his theaters than anyone else on the planet. The historian can put you in touch.
From the “Troy Evening Record”, September 5, 1929:
“Troy feels a sense of personal loss in the death of Frederick F. Proctor. Mr. Proctor came into this city many years ago and built one of the finest vaudeville houses ever constructed in the United States. He maintained it with a type of vaudeville similar to that which he was offering to his patrons in New York and other large cities. He showed a personal interest in the affairs of the community and was a frequent visitor here.
“Therefore his death, at the ripe age of 78 years, is more than the death of a theatrical king. It comes very near being the death of a successful Trojan, a man with large sums of money invested here, a man who made life in Troy happier and more metropolitan. His career reads like a romance—the Maine farm boy who, through the avenue of the showman, finally became a magnate himself. His personality was attractive and he had many friends. But Trojans will think of him in a civic way as one of themselves who achieved a lasting fame and passes into the unknown full of years and honor.”
The architect, John William Merrow, was F. F. Proctor’s nephew. He was born 15 Aug 1874 in New Hampton, New Hampshire, graduated from Dartmouth College in 1897 and attended the architectural course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was employed by Proctor Theatrical Enterprises “supervising the building of numerous theatres in and out of the city, in addition to keeping all of the houses owned by Mr. Proctor up to modern requirements and standards” for about 18 years prior to his death 11 Apr 1927. From “New York Telegraph”, 12 Apr 1927.
Opened in 1905 as Proctor’s Palace Theatre and Proctor’s Palace Roof Theatre.
“Manager Proctor’s Newark venture has proved successful beyond expectation, and from the opening performance the theatre has been filled almost always to capacity. At one of the first performances the crowd was so great that when the doors were opened the inrushing people wrecked the ticket office and the picture frames in the lobby and caused General Manager J. Austin Fynes to issue orders that doors should be opened a half-hour earlier than had been deemed necessary.” From the New York “Mirror”.
“This playhouse is recognized everywhere as having the most fashionable clientele of any vaudeville theatre in America. Favored with a central location and a perfect auditorium, this playhouse holds a unique position on Mr. Proctor’s circuit.” From the souvenir pamphlet, “F. F. Proctor’s Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Jubilee, Celebrated at Poctor’s Fifth Avenue Threatre the Week of April Ninth, Nineteen Hundred and Six”
“Mr. Proctor a short time ago disposed of his vast historic holdings of de luxe theatres to the Radio-Keith-Orpheum vaudeville corporation. Just before disposing of his theatrical holdings Mr. Proctor built what might be termed an everlasting monument to his memory, that beautiful theatre in New Rochelle.” From F. F. Proctor’s obituary in “The Larchmont Times,” Larchmont, New York, 5 Sep 1929, page 1.
Thank you Warren for updating the links to the images of this theatre. My grandfather, Frederick M. Merrow (1879-1979), F. F. Proctor’s nephew, was the first manager of the New Rochelle theatre. Proctor lived in Larchmont and owned a block on Park Avenue facing Long Island Sound that included his own home, matching homes for his two daughters, a home where my family lived, and the Hotel Bevan (now a private residence). F. F. Proctor invited the stars performing in his theatres in the New York area to stay at the Hotel Bevan and it remained a popular theatre hotel until the beginning of WWII.
Warren, I have added substantially to John William Merrow’s biography at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_William_Merrow
He was my great-uncle. If it was you who put him up on wikipedia, thanks.
Great question, Karen. If Warren (above) or someone else here cannot help you, try asking the Town Historian at the Woodbury Historical Society, 543 Route 32, Highland Mills, NY 10930. F.F. Proctor had an unbelieveable summer estate in the village of Central Valley, NY called “Proctoria”. There is an individual in the historical society who probably knows more about F.F. Proctor, his family, and his theaters than anyone else on the planet. The historian can put you in touch.
From the “Troy Evening Record”, September 5, 1929:
“Troy feels a sense of personal loss in the death of Frederick F. Proctor. Mr. Proctor came into this city many years ago and built one of the finest vaudeville houses ever constructed in the United States. He maintained it with a type of vaudeville similar to that which he was offering to his patrons in New York and other large cities. He showed a personal interest in the affairs of the community and was a frequent visitor here.
“Therefore his death, at the ripe age of 78 years, is more than the death of a theatrical king. It comes very near being the death of a successful Trojan, a man with large sums of money invested here, a man who made life in Troy happier and more metropolitan. His career reads like a romance—the Maine farm boy who, through the avenue of the showman, finally became a magnate himself. His personality was attractive and he had many friends. But Trojans will think of him in a civic way as one of themselves who achieved a lasting fame and passes into the unknown full of years and honor.”
The architect, John William Merrow, was F. F. Proctor’s nephew. He was born 15 Aug 1874 in New Hampton, New Hampshire, graduated from Dartmouth College in 1897 and attended the architectural course at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was employed by Proctor Theatrical Enterprises “supervising the building of numerous theatres in and out of the city, in addition to keeping all of the houses owned by Mr. Proctor up to modern requirements and standards” for about 18 years prior to his death 11 Apr 1927. From “New York Telegraph”, 12 Apr 1927.
Opened in 1905 as Proctor’s Palace Theatre and Proctor’s Palace Roof Theatre.
“Manager Proctor’s Newark venture has proved successful beyond expectation, and from the opening performance the theatre has been filled almost always to capacity. At one of the first performances the crowd was so great that when the doors were opened the inrushing people wrecked the ticket office and the picture frames in the lobby and caused General Manager J. Austin Fynes to issue orders that doors should be opened a half-hour earlier than had been deemed necessary.” From the New York “Mirror”.
“This playhouse is recognized everywhere as having the most fashionable clientele of any vaudeville theatre in America. Favored with a central location and a perfect auditorium, this playhouse holds a unique position on Mr. Proctor’s circuit.” From the souvenir pamphlet, “F. F. Proctor’s Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Jubilee, Celebrated at Poctor’s Fifth Avenue Threatre the Week of April Ninth, Nineteen Hundred and Six”
“Mr. Proctor a short time ago disposed of his vast historic holdings of de luxe theatres to the Radio-Keith-Orpheum vaudeville corporation. Just before disposing of his theatrical holdings Mr. Proctor built what might be termed an everlasting monument to his memory, that beautiful theatre in New Rochelle.” From F. F. Proctor’s obituary in “The Larchmont Times,” Larchmont, New York, 5 Sep 1929, page 1.