Parkway Theatre
Also known as: Rolland Theatre; Holy House of Prayer for all People
Why it's listed
Built in 1928 at the corner of St. John's Place and Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn's Brownsville neighborhood, this building opened as the Rolland Theatre, a Yiddish vaudeville and drama house named for its builder, producer William Rolland. It later became known as the Parkway Theatre. Architect Harrison G. Wiseman gave it a Moorish-inspired design, with a tall arched entrance of polychrome terra cotta, zodiac panels, spiral columns and a richly ornamented lobby. The auditorium seats over 1,000 and retains its balcony, boxes, fly loft and projection booths. Yiddish performances here gave Jewish immigrants and their children entertainment, cultural enrichment and a way to reflect on life in a new country. The theatre served that role from 1928 to 1955, when a congregation acquired it and converted it to a church with minimal structural change. Its architecture and its place in Yiddish theatre history are the reasons for its listing.
Significance in brief: The building is argued to be locally significant under Criterion A for its link to the history of Yiddish theatre and the Eastern European Jewish immigrant community in Brownsville. It is also significant under Criterion C as an outstanding, highly intact example of 1920s theatre architecture with Moorish-inspired design made for an ethnic community.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 10000136, listed March 31, 2010. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1768 St. John's Pl., Brooklyn |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | March 31, 2010 |
| Reference number | 10000136 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1928-1955 |
| Architect / builder | Wiseman, Harrison G. |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Moorish Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Performing Arts, European, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a church facility by the Holy House of Prayer for All People since the congregation acquired it, with the theatre's lobby and auditorium largely intact. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.67021, -73.92126 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 10000136.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7138822
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.