BEACH DECORATING IDEAS

Tarrytown, New York

Music Hall is located on a sloping site at the intersection of Main Street and Kaldenburg Place in Tarrytown's central business district Constructed m 1885, the Music Hall is one of a small number of such struc tures remaining in Westchester County, and the only one whose original primary function, that of providing space for entertainment has not changed. Despite major interior alterations, original spatial configurations and some early material are still evident; the Music Hall's 1885 Queen Anne exterior, with the exception of an early twentieth century entrance change, is basically Two and one-half stories high, seven bays wide, and three bays deep, the Music Hall has two major sections.

The main (south; facade and the first three bays of the east and west facades are constructed of brick on a roue:h-dressed granite foundation with a slate gable roof. The remaining nine bays of the west facade are constructed of stucco and half-timber on a brick foundation. The hipped roof (flat on top) is shingled and has a narrow cast-iron parapet railing.

Due to the sloping character of the site, the limestone water table at the southwest corner of the building becomes raised on the west facade of this section, and appears to form the foundation of the main (south) facade. Much more elaborate than the other facades, the front of the building exhibits a variety of forms and materials, a characteristic feature of the Queen Anne style. Corner towers have bell-cast slate roofs; at the upper level they are sheathed with slate on two facades and the third is punctuated with an arched window flanked by two small-scale wooden Doric pilasters.

At the level of the building*s second story, the towers contain rectangular double-hung windows with wooden frames and sash. Lintels are decorated terra-cotta and sills are formed by a terra-cotta stringcourse extending across all but the center bay of the main facade. Beneath a band of decorative terra-cotta panels and a sandstone stringcourse the towers are capped by brick .corbelling.

Corbelling also appears under the eaves of the engaged towers which flank the facade's Central bay. These towers have brick quoins, windows with terracotta pediments, and decorative bands of the same material. The central bay has a gable roof; contained in the gable are slate shingles and a window with a shingled bell-cast hood. At the gable's base the legend "Music Hall" is cast into a decorative brick, stone, and terra-cotta arch; the legend is flanked by terra-cotta panels inscribed with the date of construction. All gables and tower roofs are topped with finials; those on the corner towers have wrought iron weather vanes.

At the street level, the south facade has two commercial spaces containing shop windows above which are set panels of frosted glass with designs of stained glass and lead. Similar panels appear above doors giving access to the building's upper floors. The marquee, or main entrance, is the result of a 1915 alteration; the original entrance was moved from Kaldenburg Place to Main Street at that time, replacing a third original commercial space.

Behind the main "brick section is the stucco and half-timber exterior I of the large hall, or theatre space. The nine bays of this section contain, at the street and second story level, irregular rectangular fenestration, including six windows and five exterior doors. Decoration is limited to the triangular pediment of the one roof-level dormer, and the narrow parapet railing.

The building's 1885 interior consisted of, in the front section, commercial spaces at the first level and office and residential space above. The large back section contained the entertainment area. This area was altered to accommodate motion pictures in 1901, and the interior changes necessitated by the moving of the exterior entrance in 1915 included W changing the center commercial space to an entrance lobby area with ticket window. Materials used in the lobby area are limestone and marble with brass trim; details are classical.

The entertainment area, acoustically superior and designed to be flexible enough for fairs, lectures, balls, orchestral presentations, and even roller skating, in addition to stage entertainment, originally had a flat floor and temporary seating,* A large arch motif, the semi-circular spaces decorated with carved wooden elements when the building was constructed, was repeated Along the length of each side wall. The spandrels between the arches were filled in with decorated plaster panels resembling those of terra-cotta on the Music Hall's main facade. The posts in the balcony area carried simply molded consoles supporting a frieze on which the decorative panels were repeated at wide intervals; posts on the main floor had small more elaborate brackets. Large gas chandeliers hung from ornate plaster medallions in the center of the hall's ceiling and a —« floor-to-ceiling mural served as a backdrop for

We enjoyed a pasta dinner complete with an ocean-side table and candlelight. Enrique took such good care of us, even pouring my drink! The food was divine and the company amazing. :)