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GOTHIC HALL
Gothic Hall stood next to Grace Church on the south, now site of the building at 48-54 North Street. It was in use by late 1851, but not completed until 1852. The hall was built for Elisha P. Wheeler, William M. Graham, and Edward M. Madden. The second floor was used as a lodge room by the independent order of Odd Fellows (a fraternal group of which Wheeler and Graham were members), while the first floor was "for public meetings, concerts, lectures, exhibitions, etc." The basement housed custodian's quarter, and a saloon which was opened in July, 1852, by Mortimer S. Clark.
O Built by Middletown Carpenter/Architect Cyrus Frost in the Gothic style of architecture, the interior was notable for the frescoes done by C.G. Lefato de Agostino, "an Italian artist from New York. Frescoing of the second floor rooms was done first, with the lower floor completed by May, 1852. The upstairs lodge room, painted in the "Gothic order, imitating stucco work in the most ancient style" was decorated with shields in bas-relief, gothic scrolls, medals, and emblems. Doors were "an imitation of bronze," with "window and door cases... painted to imitate gray marble." The first floor assembly room was "frescoed in the old Roman Style," measured 54 feet long, 29 feet wide, and 13 feet 10 inches high, and was also richly ornamented. Decorations included Scrolls, musical and architectural emblems, rosettes, laurel festoons, and portraits of George Washington.
Overall dimensions of the structure were 31 feet wide and 60 feet deep. A front vestibule formed the main entrance to the hall. Seating capacity was between 400 to 600. At the time, it was "considered the finest Assembly Room in this part of the state." The cost was estimated at over $3,000.
Initially, the building was referred to as "Village Hall," but was known as Gothic Hall by the end of 1851. The district election was held there in November, 1851, and the first entertainment was apparently a concert by the Middletown Glee club on December 30, 1851, Horace Greeley delivered a lecture March 3, 1852, on the subject of "Success or Failure in Life."
The Odd Fellows moved into their new quarters April 1, 1852, holding elaborate dedication ceremonies on June 9, 1852. In November, 1859, the hall was illuminated using gas. Besides used as a meeting and entertainment hall, Roman Catholics held masses there before their first church was built in 1867. During the Civil War, Gothic Hall was the scene of the formation of the Wallkill Guards and patriotic meetings and concerts. After the war, meetings were frequently held there to promote various rail road building projects.