Webster Hall

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This article is about the nightclub. For the Senate Page residence, see Daniel Webster Senate Page Residence.
Webster Hall

Webster Hall just before Halloween 2010
Address 119-125 East 11th Street
Location New York City
Type nightclub
Built 1886
Renovated 1992
Owner Casa Galicia of New York
(operated by Lon, Stephen, Douglas, and Peter Ballinger[1])
Former name(s) The Ritz
Capacity Grand Ballroom: 1,500
Marlin Room: 500
Studio: 300
Website www.websterhall.com
Webster Hall and Annex
 
Coordinates 40°43′54″N 73°59′21″W / 40.73167°N 73.98917°W / 40.73167; -73.98917Coordinates: 40°43′54″N 73°59′21″W / 40.73167°N 73.98917°W / 40.73167; -73.98917
Architect Charles Rentz
Governing body private
New York City Landmark
Designated March 18, 2008

Webster Hall is a nightclub and concert venue located at 125 East 11th Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues, near Astor Place, in Manhattan, New York City. Built in 1886, its current incarnation was opened by the Ballinger Brothers in 1992. It serves as a nightclub, concert venue, corporate events center, and recording venue, and has a capacity of 2,500 people – including the club; 1,400 for the main stage.[2]

On March 18, 2008, after a landmarks proposal was submitted by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Webster Hall and its Annex a New York City landmark.[3]

History

1886–1940

Webster Hall was built in 1886 by architect Charles Rentz in the Queen Anne style and topped with an elaborate mansard roof. Six years later in 1892, Rentz was hired to design an addition to the building, occupying the site of 125 East 11th Street and designed in the Renaissance Revival style using the same materials as the original building. Throughout the early twentieth century the building was plagued by fires, which occurred in 1902, 1911, 1930, 1938, and 1949. The original mansard roof was likely lost in one these fires.[4]

Webster Hall is one of New York City's most historically significant theater and event halls, having hosted social events of all types since the club's construction in 1886.[3] Originally commissioned by Charles Goldstein – who operated the hall and also lived in the Annex with his family until his death in 1898 – the building was a "hall for hire" from its inception.

The first decade or so of Webster Hall's existence saw it host countless labor union rallies, weddings, meetings, lectures, dances, military functions, concerts, fundraisers and other events, particularly focused on the working-class and immigrant population of the surrounding Lower East Side neighborhood during its early years. Although it also hosted many high-society functions catering to the uppertens of the city, the hall earned a reputation as a gathering place for leftist, socialist, anarchist and labor union activity very early on. In 1912, Emma Goldman, the outspoken exponent of Anarchism, free love and birth control, led a march that brought the children of striking Lawrence, Massachusetts millworkers to the hall for a meal in order to dramatize the struggles of the working-class. In 1916, it was used as the strike headquarters for the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union; in 1920 meetings of the Sacco and Vanzetti Defense Committee were also held at Webster Hall.

In the 1910s and 20s, Webster Hall became known for its masquerade balls and other soirees reflecting the hedonism of the city's Bohemians. Nicknamed the "Devil's Playhouse" by the socialist magazine The Masses, Webster Hall became particularly known for the wilder and more risque events of the time; Marcel Duchamp, Joseph Stella, Man Ray, Francis Picabia, Charles Demuth, Scott Fitzgerald and many other notables regularly attended events there during this time.

The coming of Prohibition did not restrict the availability of alcohol at these events. Local politicians and police were said to turn a blind eye to the activities; at one time it was rumored that the venue was owned by the mobster Al Capone. The repeal of Prohibition was the reason for one of Webster Hall's biggest celebrations, "The Return of John Barleycorn."

A costume ball in the Grand Ballroom of Webster Hall (date unknown)
Webster Hall's Grand Ballroom in its current form

In 1938, reporting on a fire in the building, the New York Times wrote: "Webster Hall ... began by seeing redcheeked debutantes introduced to society and ended – if ended it has – by seeing red-nosed bohemians thumbing defiance at society."[5]

1950-1980

In the 1950s, Webster Hall began featuring concerts from a diverse group of artists. Latin performers, such as Tito Puente and Tito Rodriguez played at the club. So, too, did folk artists Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. From 1953-1968 RCA Records, recognizing the acoustical integrity of the Grand Ballroom, purchased the building and began operating Webster Hall as their East Coast recording venue, Webster Hall Studios. Carol Channing recorded Hello, Dolly! there, Venezuelan conductor Aldemaro Romero recorded his debut album Dinner in Caracas, Harold Prince recorded Fiddler on the Roof, and artists such as Julie Andrews, Harry Belafonte, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Perry Como, Sergio Franchi, Peter Nero, Elvis Presley, and Frank Sinatra all recorded in the studio.

On February 2, 1962 Bob Dylan was recorded playing harmonica on the title track of Harry Belafonte's Midnight Special album, marking Dylan's recording debut. The Music Theatre of Lincoln Center albums of Broadway shows recorded between 1964 and 1969 were all made at Webster Hall, but without a live audience, and in 1966, the recording of Handel's Giulio Cesare starring Norman Treigle and Beverly Sills was recorded at the Hall for RCA.

In 1970, Unity Gallega, also known as Casa Galicia of New York, purchased the site and remains the current owner of the property. Unity Gallega/Casa Galicia is a cultural organization representing people from Galicia, Spain in promoting and preserving their cultural ties.

1980–present

On May 1, 1980, The Ritz opened by Jerry Brandt in the Webster Hall building as a showcase venue for emerging rock acts. Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, The Pretenders, Prince, Metallica, Sting, Aerosmith, U2, Book of Love, Cro-Mags, KISS, B.B. King, and Guns N' Roses all performed on what was routinely called, "the best stage in New York City." [citation needed] The Ritz was the first nightclub to feature a video component, which soon set a trend. [citation needed]

When the Ritz relocated in 1989, it gave Webster Hall the opportunity to be reborn. In 1992, the Ballinger Brothers unveiled the restored Webster Hall, featuring state of the art audio, video, and lighting technology with the original color scheme recreated. The venue hosted two or three different genres of music at once on weekend evenings, providing rave/house music in their large dance room and rock in the upstairs billiard area. A facility capable of catering to groups of 100 to 2,000, Madonna, Mick Jagger and Bill Clinton have had events there, as has the World Wrestling Federation TNA Wrestling and the taping of Fuji Television Network's Iron Chef "New York Special" between Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto. The venue offers five different rooms.

Canopy and lighting sconce over side door

In addition to its weekly club nights, Webster Hall is one of the city's premiere live music venues. It is the exclusive live music venue for AOL’s New York Broadband Rocks series. On May 11, 2007 Linkin Park filmed their Minutes to Midnight Promo Concert, which was then released into theatres. The club recently entered into a partnership to present The Bowery Ballroom Presents at Webster Hall concert series, which has already brought such acts as Sonic Youth, Infected Mushroom, The Hives, John Mayer, John Butler and Modest Mouse to the mainstage.[6] In October 2008, "The Studio at Webster Hall," a 300 to 400 scalable capacity performance room, was opened.[7]

As real estate development pressure grew exponentially in the East Village during the 2000s, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation saw the need to protect the scale and character of many of the East Village’s unique historic structures. In the summer of 2007, GVSHP supplied the Landmarks Preservation Commission with extensive research on the history of Webster Hall, and urged the LPC to landmark the site. Shortly thereafter the LPC commissioners voted to consider the building for landmark designation and in spring 2008 the building was officially designated a New York City landmark, recognizing its significant role in the cultural development of the Village.[8]

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Then & Now: Boom Boom Room
  2. ↑ Carlson, Jen (2007-08-14). "New Venue Alert: Terminal 5". Gothamist. Retrieved 2011-11-10. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Webster Hall and Annex Designation Report", New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (March 18, 2008)
  4. ↑ Durniak, Drew. "Where Music and Passion are Always in Fashion". Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. Retrieved July 18, 2011. 
  5. ↑ "Webster Hall (article abstract)". The New York Times. 
  6. ↑ "Webster Hall New York, NY - tickets, information, reviews". Newyorkcitytheatre.com. Retrieved 2011-11-10. 
  7. ↑ "The Studio at Webster Hall". Webster Hall. Retrieved July 8, 2012. 
  8. ↑ "Webster Hall Landmarked!". Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. 


External links

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