Mechanics' Hall, New York City
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Mechanics' Hall was a
meeting hall In architecture, a hall is a relatively large space enclosed by a roof and walls. In the Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages in northern Europe, a mead hall was where a lord and his retainers ate and also slept. Later in the Middle Ages, the gre ...
and theatre seating 2,500 people located at 472
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, U.S. It had a brown façade. Built by the Mechanics' Society for their monthly meetings in 1847, it was also used for
banquet A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes inc ...
s,
luncheon Lunch is a meal typically consumed around the middle of the day, following breakfast and preceding dinner. It varies in form, size, and significance across cultures and historical periods. In some societies, lunch constitutes the main mea ...
s, and
speech Speech is the use of the human voice as a medium for language. Spoken language combines vowel and consonant sounds to form units of meaning like words, which belong to a language's lexicon. There are many different intentional speech acts, suc ...
es held by other groups. The building eventually became a playhouse. During this time, it was variously known as the Abbey Theatre, Butler's American Theatre, and other names. The
blackface Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...
minstrel A minstrel was an entertainer, initially in medieval Europe. The term originally described any type of entertainer such as a musician, juggler, acrobat, singer or fool; later, from the sixteenth century, it came to mean a specialist enter ...
troupe
Buckley's Serenaders Buckley's Serenaders, also known as Buckley's Melodies, was a family troupe of English-born United States, American blackface minstrel show, minstrels, established under that name in 1853 by James Buckley. They became one of the two most popula ...
saw great success there until 1846.
Christy's Minstrels Christy's Minstrels, sometimes referred to as the Christy Minstrels, were a blackface group formed by Edwin Pearce Christy, a well-known ballad singer, in 1843, in Buffalo, New York. They were instrumental in the solidification of the minstrel ...
became the resident minstrel company in February 1847 and bought the building later that year. They remained until July 1854, when the troupe disbanded. Bryants Minstrels played at Mechanics' Hall for the first time in 1857, leaving after May 1866, when the house was taken over for a season by minstrel showman Charles "Charlie" White.New York ''Clipper'', July 7, 1866. In 1867, showman Robert Butler took over management of Mechanics' Hall following a fire that destroyed his former theater at 444 Broadway. Butler's luck was no better in the new venue as Mechanics' Hall was also destroyed by fire later that year.(8 April 1868)
Another Theatre Gone
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References

* Crawford, Richard (2001). ''America's Musical Life: A History''. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. * Henderson, Mary C. (2004). ''The City & The Theatre: The History of New York Playhouses: A 250 Year Journey from Bowling Green to Times Square''. New York: Back Stage Books. *Mahar, William J. (1999). ''Behind the Burnt Cork Mask: Early Blackface Minstrelsy and Antebellum American Popular Culture''. Chicago: University of Illinois Press. * Rock, Howard B. (1989). ''The New York City Artisan, 1789–1825: A Documentary History''. State University of New York. * Sweetster, M. F. (1883). ''New England: A Handbook for Travellers. A Guide to the Chief Cities and Popular Resorts of New England, and to Its Scenery and Historic Attractions: With the Western and Northern Borders, from New York to Quebec.'' 7 ed. Boston: James R. Osgood & Co.


External links

* {{Broadway (Manhattan) Commercial buildings completed in 1847 1847 establishments in New York (state) Demolished buildings and structures in Manhattan Cultural history of New York City Former theatres in Manhattan Broadway (Manhattan) Buildings and structures demolished in 1868