Astor Place Opera House

Built by wealthy New Yorkers to bring opera to the city. By 1848, it was clear that opera alone could not sustain the house and the policy was expanded to include dramatic fare. In 1849, it was the site of the tragic Astor Place riots (later chronicled in the play, "Two Shakespearean Actors," by Richard Nelson). The theatre itself was not harmed in the violence but its reputation was. It presented early minstrel shows before closing in 1853. In 1854, theatre was converted to a library, Clinton Hall.