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In February, 1868, it was announced E. M. Lane had purchased Gothic Hall for $7,500 and would continue "to let the hall for the purposes as heretofore." Gothic Hall's last use as a public meeting place was for a political meeting on March 16, 1869. On April 1, 1869, the Orange County Press moved from their offices in the exchange building next door (now a small park) into Gothic Hall. The displaced Odd Fellows Lodge took over the newspaper's former rooms in the Exchange Building.
Gothic Hall was used as a newspaper office by The Middletown Daily Press until 1906. At that time, the Press merged with The Middletown Daily Times, becoming The Middletown Daily Time Press, and moved into the Time Building which is on the corner of King and Centre Streets. The old Gothic Hall was then used for a variety of commercial purposes, including a motion picture theatre.
Demolition of the Gothic Hall building began June 11, 1940, for the erection of a Montgomery Ward store on the site.
LINDEN HALL
St. Joseph's Society was organized about 1859 to build a Catholic Church in Middletown. In September, 1859, it was announced the church would be built at Wickham and Linden Avenues. A year later, in September, 1860, Mason James G. Crawford was building a foundation which would be 90 feet deep, 50 feet wide, and accommodate a basement 15 feet high. The foundation completed, nothing further was done until June, 1861, when it was announced construction would "be recommended" after bids were received. Nothing further was apparently done; the Civil War intervened, construction plans were suspended, and it was later determined the Linden Avenue site would be inadequate and was sold for $2,000 in July, 1865. A local paper suggested using the site for a public school, even if it had been too small for a church, parsonage, and cemetery.
Finally in November, 1867, it was announced W.W. Wilkison was erecting a brick building "on the old Catholic Foundation." At that time, it was planned the basement and first floor would be used for a cooperage, while the second floor would be a public hall. The hall would be 50 by 90 feet, with a 17 foot arched ceiling. It would be lit "with gas and warmed with furnaces." The 91st Regiment N.Y.S.G. going to rent the hall for use as a drill room. The Orange County Press felt that there would "be no excuse for not erecting a larger and better edifice on the site of Gothic Hall."
By early February, 1868, "Military Hall," as it was then called, was "enclosed and being roofed with the patent-felt, cement, and gravel roofing," while carpenters were busy working inside. Although the ceiling was not to be arched after all, the