Proctor's Theater
Why it's listed
Proctor's Theatre is a five-story brick, marble and terra cotta building on Fourth Street in the heart of Troy's downtown commercial district. Designed by architect Arlard Johnson and built by the Charles P. Boland Company, it opened in 1914 at a cost of $325,000. The facade features rusticated columns with lion heads, engaged marble columns with gargoyle-like figures, and two towers, the most ornate rising above the entrance and marquee. Inside, a classically inspired double balcony theatre includes a gold-leaf arched proscenium with a painting of General Lafayette's 1824 visit to Troy, ten terraced boxes, and the original stage and dressing rooms. F.F. Proctor, called the dean of vaudeville, built it as the largest house in his circuit. It marks the shift from vaudeville to motion pictures and was considered among the finest theatres in New York State. By 1979 it stood unoccupied and deteriorated, yet remained the last movie-palace-era theatre in Troy.
Significance in brief: It was built by F.F. Proctor, known as the "dean of vaudeville," and was the largest theatre in his vaudeville circuit. It reflects the transitional period between vaudeville and motion pictures, and was considered one of the finest theatres in New York State when it opened in 1914. It is the last theatre of the movie palace era remaining in Troy.
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 79001623, listed October 4, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 82 4th St., Troy |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | October 4, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001623 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Architect Arlard Johnson; builder Charles P. Boland Company |
| Architectural style | Classically inspired double balcony theatre |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Communications, Performing Arts |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Unoccupied and in deteriorated condition at the time of the 1979 nomination; owned by the City of Troy, which had formed a volunteer group to work on its restoration. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Central Troy Historic District |
| Coordinates | 42.73197, -73.68972 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 79001623.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1775301
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.