Center Theatre
Also known as: Woodbourne Theater
Why it's listed
Center Theatre is a two-story Art Deco movie house on NY 52 in Woodbourne, a small Sullivan County hamlet in the Catskills. Built in 1938 to designs by regional architect Abraham H. Okun and constructed by Jacob Bernard Sacks, it was equipped for both films and vaudeville and seated 650, a very large number for such a small community. The buff brick facade uses geometric forms and a stepped central tower, while the interior keeps its silver-painted moldings, mahogany dados, painted plaster ceiling and serpentine lobby. It reflects the entertainment life of the Catskills resort era and was also used for public gatherings such as high school graduations. In the early 1970s it operated briefly as the Peace Palace, inspired by the Woodstock Festival, and a psychedelic-influenced mural was painted in the foyer. Although part of the ceiling has collapsed, most original finishes survive, and a non-profit arts group is restoring the building.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the theater is a distinctive, highly intact example of a twentieth-century Art Deco theater in Sullivan County, tied to the Catskills resort and entertainment culture. It is a fine work of regional architect Abraham H. Okun, with a decorative geometric facade and a unified interior. The c. 1972 Woodstock Peace Painting in the foyer adds a link to the Woodstock-inspired Peace Palace era.
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 01000170, listed February 23, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 52, Woodbourne |
|---|---|
| County | Sullivan County |
| Listed | February 23, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01000170 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1938 |
| Architect / builder | Abraham H. Okun; Jacob Bernard Sacks |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant in the current function; the theater has been acquired by a non-profit arts organization and is being restored, despite a partial ceiling collapse and some deterioration. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.75834, -74.60182 (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 01000170.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5059358
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.