The Brook Arts Center, formerly Brook Theatre, is a historic theater located at 10 Hamilton Street in Bound Brook of Somerset County, New Jersey.[3] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 2014, for its significance in entertainment and performing arts.[4]
Brook Arts Center | |
 Brook Arts Center in 2022 | |
    | |
| Location | 10 Hamilton Street, Bound Brook, New Jersey |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°33′43″N 74°31′48″W / 40.56194°N 74.53000°W |
| Built | 1927 |
| Built by | Alexander Morecraft |
| Architect | William E. Lehman |
| NRHP reference No. | 14000190[1] |
| NJRHP No. | 4114[2] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 5, 2014 |
| Designated NJRHP | February 27, 2014 |
History and description edit
The theater was designed by William E. Lehman.[5] It was built by Alexander Morecraft, a Bound Brook resident, and had a grand opening on January 19, 1927. Originally a 1,300-seat vaudeville house, the theater was the hub of a theater district serving surrounding towns and counties. As motion pictures took over in the 1930s, the theater became a performing arts center and first-run movie house, operating until the floods of 1999 and 2007 required extensive rebuilding. The theater is notable for its contributions to Bound Brook and remains the only surviving vaudeville theater in the county.[4]
The theater offers plays, bands, dance, silent film and classic movies year round. The venue is a rental house for plays, film shoots, and various other events. The Brook Arts Center is also home of the Brook Orchestra and Brook Arts Center Community Players.[6]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "National Register Information System – (#14000190)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Somerset County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. December 22, 2021. p. 3.
- ^ "The History of the Brook". brookarts.org. Somerset County Cultural Arts Center. Archived from the original on 10 December 2014.
- ^ a b Cannelongo, Kat (January 2014). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: The Brook Theater". National Park Service. Includes photos, drawings, and maps.
- ^ "Movie Theaters Designed by William E. Lehman". cinematreasures.org. Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
- ^ "Brook Arts Center". Somerset County Tourism.
External links edit
Media related to Brook Arts Center at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
- Brook Arts Center at Cinema Treasures
