The Cherry Grove Community House and Theatre is a historic building in Cherry Grove, New York. It played an important part in the development of Cherry Grove as an LGBT town.

History

Fire Island Fire Island is the large center island of the outer barrier islands parallel to the South Shore of Long Island, in the U.S. state of New York. Occasionally, the name is used to refer collectively to not only the central island, but also Long ...

is a barrier island off the southern shore of

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

state. In 1869, the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...

expanded to nearby

Patchogue Patchogue (, ) is a village in Suffolk County, New York. The population was 11,798 at the time of the 2010 census. Patchogue is part of the town of Brookhaven, on the south shore of Long Island, adjoining Great South Bay. It is officially known ...

, initiating settlement on Fire Island. Ferries were built to accommodate visitors, and by the early nineteenth century, Fire Island hosted several resorts, including Cherry Grove. By the late 1920s, the island was a popular and welcoming destination for the LGBT community. Cherry Grove formed a homeowners' association as a ''de facto'' government of the unincorporated community. In 1944, this group met at Duffy's Hotel to become the Cherry Grove Property Owners Association, which featured committees on finance, art, the beach, and fire prevention. At a meeting of this group on September 29, 1945, members agreed to a plan to purchase a carriage house to convert to a community house. Following renovations, a meeting on January 25, 1946 established a board of directors, including association president Earl Blackwell. The community house was used for municipal government, including elections. It also hosted social activities, such as religious functions and fairs. Residents donated goods for use in the building. At a September 1948 board meeting, the Property Owners Association founded an "Artistic Activity Group." This group held theatrical performances at the community house; at the time, live theater was otherwise absent from the island. Saturday night shows became regular to meet demand. Veteran theater performers and directors such as Frank Carrington (founder of the Paper Mill Playhouse),

Cheryl Crawford Cheryl Crawford (September 24, 1902 – October 7, 1986) was an American theatre producer and director. Biography Born in Akron, Ohio, Crawford majored in drama at Smith College. Following graduation in 1925, she moved to New York City and ...

(co-founded the

Actors Studio The Actors Studio is a membership organization for professional actors, theatre directors and playwrights at 432 West 44th Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded ...

), and novelist Carson McCullers provided creative direction. Broadway and Hollywood actors and actresses such as

Peggy Fears Peggy Fears (June 1, 1903 – August 24, 1994) was an American actress, who appeared in Broadway musical comedies during the 1920s and 1930s before becoming a Broadway producer. Theater Leaving New Orleans at the age of 16, she attended the Semp ...

, Nancy Walker, and Betty Garde performed at the shows. Another fundraiser in 1948 financed a large addition to the theater. The theater provided a creative haven for the homosexual residents of Cherry Grove and their guests, where productions would openly address homosexual community issues. The Cherry Grove Theatre is the oldest continually operating gay summer theater in the United States. It was recognized by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

with a listing 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 v ...

on June 4, 2013. It is one of only five sites listed because of its association with LGBT history. However, almost 400 other such sites have been identified as candidates.

References

Functional link for article 2

{{National Register of Historic Places in New York Theatres completed in 1948 National Register of Historic Places in Brookhaven (town), New York LGBT places in the United States LGBT history in New York (state)

History

See also

References