FORMER ALBERMARLE THEATRE

1027 Flatbush Ave
1920
Harrison G. Wiseman

The Albermarle Theater opened in 1920, hosting vaudeville shows and motion pictures. Above the auditorium there was a grand banquet hall, with an entrance on the side.

Although it wasn’t initially considered a success, the theater became a neighborhood staple and remained in operation until a fire partially damaged the structure in 1984. After being closed for several years, the building was purchased by the Jehovah’s Witnesses and presently serves as their Kingdom Hall.

The main façade has a central bay with terra cotta cladding and flanking bays in red brick. Carved ornamentations, also in terra cotta, frame window openings and divide the second and third floors, as well as the pediment marking the entrance. The building is capped by a Doric cornice, and at each corner there’s a double-height pilaster. Most of the ground openings have been sealed, with the exception of the entrances on Flatbush Avenue and Albemarle Road.

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