Built in 1931 as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), work program for the unemployed that was created in 1935 under U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

The stated purpose of the program was to provide useful work for millions of victims of the Great Depression and thus to preserve their skills and self-respect. 

The theater operated as both an official military venue to entertain and educate military personnel stationed at Fort Niagara, as well as a family and employee entertainment center for those families of the troops and officers that had family stationed at the Fort.

What is now the Niagara Post Theater last served it's military service when the Fort Niagara base closed in 1963.

This is one of 4 theaters of its kind left in the United States. This theater and its planned use is modeled after the revitalized Tybee Island Theater in Georgia, which exists and serves their area which is very similar in size to that of Porter/Youngstown, NY

THE IDEA

Revitalizing Fort Niagara’s Post Theater came about primarily due to conversations among theater enthusiasts concerning the lack of proper spaces for the presentation and execution of performing arts in the Niagara County area. Individuals who are actively involved in theater and entertainment recognize the need for a convenient venue to allow the training for and execution of high-quality stage productions.

Initially, consideration had been made concerning the conversion of the historical cold storage facility in Youngstown, NY but the scope and degree of interest rendered that too optimistic and costly for timely completion. That project established a framework, scope, and the realization of support for a multi-use theater concept. When a suggestion was made to consider the Post
Theater at Fort Niagara, a large portion of a proposal, and an organization were in place to seriously consider the State Park location.

Residents who have lived in this area their entire lives and visited Fort Niagara have expressed a strong desire to have the theater restored for public use. Many have shared fond memories of going there and watching movies until it closed in 1963.

There has been substantial support for composing a proposal to determine if a multi-use theater would work within Fort Niagara State Park’s functions; economically, physically, and socially. The main idea is to take an acoustically excellent, structurally sound, architecturally appealing movie theater that has been dormant for over fifty years and turn it into a facility to support the functions of a Theater Academy. To generate revenue to support the facility and training – concerts, recitals, weddings, graduations, presentations, live performances, and movies will be offered for the enjoyment of Fort Niagara State Park visitors and the surrounding communities.
Western New York is an “Art” rich area with active support for all forms of artistic expression. Beginning in the 70s, Artpark in Lewiston offered just such a concept to enrich the lives of local communities and visitors to the area. It is genuinely felt that by offering a space engineered to support the performing arts and integrating state-of-the-art technologies into the ADA-compliant 250-seat venue a tool can be offered to again enrich the lives of both residents and visitors eventually evolving into a destination theater.

The primary intention is to privately fund the effort through individuals and groups applying donations, grants, user fees, in-kind support, volunteer staff, and shared resources. Through the implementation of proper management practices, no financial assistance will be necessary from the State Parks. Additionally, by enhancing and upgrading the Park’s existing resources and facilities for theater use, the benefits will be extended to recreation patrons. A good example is the repair of the existing 100-car parking lot, with possible expansion to 300 cars, adjacent to the theater. This would be paramount to the sledding hill activity in winter and soccer field usage for leagues and tournaments in the remaining three seasons.

THE DESIGN

The Fort Niagara Post Theater at Fort Niagara State Park is typical of post theaters built across the country during the Depression era. Because the theater was built as part of an army base, the blueprints for the theater were of standardized design. These theaters were equipped to show “talkies”, which were just coming into existence. The Fort Niagara design is similar to the design of the post theaters built at Fort Screven, GA, Fort Benning, GA, Fort Hancock, NJ, and Fort Douglas, UT. The building was designed to be simple and functional so it does not have the detailed characteristics of many high-style buildings. The architectural style was used in the US Army from 1880-1940 and is known as Georgian Colonial Revival, a subtype of Colonial Revival that gained widespread popularity during the period of revivals of the early 20th century.

Georgian Colonial Revival was incorporated into hospitals, headquarters, barracks, and housing, especially at former World War One Army camps.

The theater has the forward-facing pediment characteristic of the Greek Revival style associated with Colonial. The pediment is “supported” by four simple columns protruding from the brick wall. Columns were also a major characteristic of the Greek revival style. Other prominent features on the theater’s façade are the keystones above the doors and windows. Keystones were features sometimes included in the Classical Revival style.

The interior features are Streamline Modern or Art Moderne which is a late type of Art Deco that emerged in the 1930s. Its architectural style is simple with aerodynamic curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements incorporating cement and glass. It was both a reaction to Art Deco architecture and a reflection of austere economic times. Many of these theaters were built by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) during the Depression to put men back to work.

On Tybee Island, Georgia - population 3,127 - there exists a theater that exemplifies what the remediation of the structure at Fort Niagara State Park offers. On October 21, 1944, the U.S. War Department declared Fort Screven surplus. In 1945, the town of Savannah Beach acquired the Fort Screven property containing 138 acres and 279 buildings, among them was the Post Theater.

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