View source for Grand Prospect Hall

{{Short description|Historic commercial building in New York City}}

{{good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name         = Prospect Hall
| nrhp_type    =
| image        = Grand Prospect Hall - 2021 - MICHAEL ROBERTO (lens correction 01).png
| caption      = Grand Prospect Hall, August 2021 
| location     = 263 Prospect Ave., [[Brooklyn, New York]] 11215
| coordinates  = {{coord|40|39|50|N|73|59|22|W|region:US-NY_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin     = New York City#New York#USA
| built        = 1901
| architect    = Huberty, Ulrich J.
| architecture = French Renaissance
| added        = April 15, 1999<ref name="nris">{{cite web|date=1999|title=National Register of Historic Places 1999 Weekly Lists|url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/upload/weekly-list-1999-national-register-of-historic-places.pdf|access-date=January 9, 2022|publisher=[[National Park Service]]|page=47}}</ref> 
| area         = {{cvt|1.5|acre}}
| refnum       = 99000460
}}
'''Grand Prospect Hall''', also known as '''Prospect Hall''', was a large [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]]-style [[Function hall|banquet hall]] at 263 Prospect Avenue in the [[South Slope, Brooklyn|South Park Slope]] neighborhood of [[Brooklyn]], New York City. It was primarily an event space, hosting weddings, [[bar and bat mitzvah]]s, and high-school [[prom]]s. The hall was housed in a building that architect Ulrich J. Huberty designed in the [[French Renaissance architecture|French Renaissance]] style.

The first Prospect Hall was built in 1892 by local entrepreneur John Kolle. The original structure burned down in 1900 and was replaced by a new building, which opened in 1903. It was operated by the Kolle family through 1940, when John Kolle's son, William, sold the building to a Polish-American organization. Greek-American couple '''Michael and Alice Halkias''' bought the hall in 1981 and renovated it, gaining some local celebrity for their cheaply produced [[Television advertisement|television commercials]]. In 2020, it was sold to contractor Angelo Rigas, who announced plans to demolish and redevelop it, along with adjacent properties. Local activists organized to save the building, but the effort was unsuccessful and Grand Prospect Hall was demolished in February 2022.

Grand Prospect Hall was four stories tall and faced in buff-gray brick, with [[Tin ceiling|pressed metal]] decoration that was originally colored to resemble [[limestone]]. The front portion of the building was arranged around a large central staircase and was designed with a bar, a banquet hall, and various reception and parlor rooms. The rear of the building was arranged around the ballroom, which was overlooked by two balcony levels. The basement also had facilities, including a [[bowling alley]]. The building was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

== History ==
=== Original Prospect Hall ===
Prospect Hall was originally built by local entrepreneur John Kolle, a German immigrant. In 1890, he had built Tivoli Hall, a four-story concert hall in the part of [[South Brooklyn]] now known as [[Park Slope]], for restaurateur [[Charles Feltman]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 13, 1895 |title=Tivoli Hall Wrecked; Speedy Destruction by Flames in South Brooklyn. Tenants of Flats Had to Hurry Out Fall of the Cupola That Crowned the Roof of the Place of Amusement -- Street-Car Traffic Interrupted. |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1895/03/13/archives/tivoli-hall-wrecked-speedy-destruction-by-flames-in-south-brooklyn.html |access-date=September 17, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917131844/https://www.nytimes.com/1895/03/13/archives/tivoli-hall-wrecked-speedy-destruction-by-flames-in-south-brooklyn.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NPS p. 9" /> The success of the Tivoli prompted Kolle to plan his own amusement hall.<ref name="NPS p. 9">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1999|ps=.|p=9}}</ref> In May 1892, Kolle announced plans for Prospect Hall, which was intended to cater to the German societies and organizations of the area.<ref name="NPS p. 9" /><ref name="n85364228">{{Cite news |date=May 18, 1892 |title=We're Booming |pages=6 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364228/were-booming/ |url-status=live |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135528/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364228/were-booming/ |archive-date=September 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=May 19, 1892 |title=Realty Matters |pages=5 |work=The Brooklyn Citizen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364306/realty-matters/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135528/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364306/realty-matters/ |url-status=live}}</ref> It was to be located on [[Prospect Avenue (Brooklyn)|Prospect Avenue]], between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, a few blocks from Tivoli Hall.<ref name="n85338944">{{Cite news |date=January 1, 1893 |title=South Brooklyn; Happenings of the Past Week in This Section |pages=14 |work=The Brooklyn Citizen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85338944/south-brooklyn-happenings-of-the-past/ |access-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914235659/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85338944/south-brooklyn-happenings-of-the-past/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="n85339013">{{Cite news |date=December 12, 1900 |title=Prospect Hall Burned |pages=10 |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85339013/prospect-hall-burned/ |access-date=September 14, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914235702/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85339013/prospect-hall-burned/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Prospect Hall was constructed at a cost of $130,000 ({{inflation|US|130000|1892|2020|fmt=eq|r=-4}}).<ref name="n85338944" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Bush |first=Christine |date=January 8, 2013 |title=Did You Know? Prospect Hall Burned Down in 1900 |url=https://bklyner.com/did-you-know-prospect-hall-burned-down-in-1900-southslope/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820152742/https://bklyner.com/did-you-know-prospect-hall-burned-down-in-1900-southslope/ |archive-date=August 20, 2021 |access-date=August 20, 2021 |website=[[Bklyner]] |language=en}}</ref>

An 1893 report from the ''[[Brooklyn Citizen]]'' cited the building as measuring {{cvt|65|by|160|ft}},<ref name="n85338944" /> while a 1900 report from ''The New York Times'' said the building measured {{cvt|75|by|200|ft}}.<ref name="n85339013" /> The structure contained six [[bowling alley]]s, four shooting galleries, a [[Billiard hall|billiard parlor]], dining room, and large [[ballroom]]. The ballroom featured a large stage and had a seating capacity for 1,000 people.<ref name="n85338944" /> The original Prospect Hall was the first such venue to be equipped with an [[electric light]]ing system.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |date=November 14, 1927 |title=Prospect Hall Scene of Many Big Rallies |pages=86 |work=Times Union |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85321219/prospect-hall-scene-of-many-big-rallies/ |access-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914181911/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85321219/prospect-hall-scene-of-many-big-rallies/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Prospect Heights Athletic Club, a boxing club, formed at Prospect Hall shortly after it opened in November 1892.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=November 25, 1892 |title=Prospect Heights Athletic Club |pages=3 |work=[[Brooklyn Times-Union|Brooklyn Standard Union]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85339269/prospect-heights-athletic-club/ |access-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914235701/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85339269/prospect-heights-athletic-club/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 28, 1892 |title=Everything Was a Draw |pages=6 |work=The Sun |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364553/everything-was-a-draw/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135538/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364553/everything-was-a-draw/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In its inaugural years, the hall hosted a range of events including plays,<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 12, 1893 |title='The Golden Spider' |pages=2 |work=Times Union |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364401/the-golden-spider/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135535/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364401/the-golden-spider/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[boxing]] tournaments,<ref name=":2" /> [[Knights of Columbus]] meetings,<ref name="n38473650" /> and [[Fundraising|fundraisers]].<ref name="n85364441">{{Cite news |date=November 26, 1892 |title=A Cup for Pigeon Shots |pages=2 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364441/a-cup-for-pigeon-shots/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135530/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364441/a-cup-for-pigeon-shots/ |url-status=live}}</ref> John Kolle's son, William D. Kolle, managed the hall.<ref name="NPS p. 9" /><ref name="p570891331" /> By 1900, Prospect Hall served 55,000 Brooklyn residents who participated in theatrical productions.<ref name="nyt19990110">{{Cite news |last=Gray |first=Christopher |date=January 10, 1999 |title=Streetscapes / Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn; Colorful Restoration of a 1903 Ballroom/Concert Hall |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/10/realestate/streetscapes-grand-prospect-hall-brooklyn-colorful-restoration-1903-ballroom.html |access-date=September 16, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916132815/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/01/10/realestate/streetscapes-grand-prospect-hall-brooklyn-colorful-restoration-1903-ballroom.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

On December 11, 1900, two hundred [[firefighter]]s responded to a major fire at Prospect Hall.<ref name="n38473650">{{Cite news |date=December 11, 1900 |title=Prospect Hall Burned; Loss Over $300,000 |pages=1–2 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38473650/grand-prospect-hall-fire-p1-11-dec/ |access-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914183133/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/38473650/grand-prospect-hall-fire-p1-11-dec/ |url-status=live}}{{pd-notice}}</ref><ref name="p570891331">{{cite news |date=December 12, 1900 |title=Prospect Hall Burned: Flames Leave the Walls Unsafe and Their Removal Is Begun at Once |page=4 |work=New-York Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364734/prospect-hall-burned/ |id={{ProQuest|570891331}} |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135531/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364734/prospect-hall-burned/ |url-status=live}}</ref> While the firefighters stopped the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings, the hall was destroyed.<ref name=":4" /> This was in part because, according to ''[[The New York Times]]'', the two closest [[fire hydrant]]s to the hall were frozen over.<ref name="n85339013" /> The bowling alleys on the ground and second floors formed natural [[flue]]s for the flames and the fire spread very quickly, further aided by wind.<ref name="n38473650" /> While it had steel ceilings and iron [[girder]]s, the walls were made of [[Longleaf pine|Georgia pine]], and the stage and flooring of the hall contained flammable material.<ref name="n38473650" /> Only the brick and stone walls of the building were left standing, and they were ordered to be demolished afterward as they were too structurally unstable.<ref name="p570891331" /><ref name="n38473650" />  The ''[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]'' described the fire as "spectacular", drawing thousands of people to watch.<ref name="n38473650" /> So despondent was John Kolle that he reportedly had to be restrained from jumping into the fire and killing himself, and later had to be looked after and medicated by physicians.<ref name="NPS p. 9" /><ref name="n38473650" /> The cause was not confirmed, but was suspected to be a lit cigar or cigarette thrown on the floor in one of the second floor dressing rooms near the main hall.<ref name="n38473650" /> The ''Eagle'' estimated the damage at over $300,000 ({{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=300,000|start_year=1900|fmt=eq}}).<ref name="n38473650" /> Many of the hall's German societies lost trophies, keepsakes, and other property in the fire; they all sent letters of sympathy to Kolle.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 13, 1900 |title=Losses at Prospect Hall |pages=13 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364797/losses-at-prospect-hall/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135539/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364797/losses-at-prospect-hall/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=December 13, 1900 |title=German Societies' Losses |pages=4 |work=Times Union |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364910/german-societies-losses/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135532/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364910/german-societies-losses/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Reconstructed Prospect Hall ===
[[File:New Prospect Hall.jpg|thumb|Sketch of the rebuilt Prospect Hall in the ''[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]'' in 1901, prior to its construction]]

==== Kolle ownership ====
John Kolle quickly decided to rebuild Prospect Hall on the same site and, in June 1901, opened a temporary [[beer garden]] next door.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 21, 1901 |title=New Prospect Hall Open |pages=20 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364673/new-prospect-hall-open/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135533/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364673/new-prospect-hall-open/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The [[New York City Department of Buildings|New York City Buildings Department]] initially refused to grant a permit for the reconstruction because the blueprints included a drinking bar.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 9, 1901 |title=Prospect Hall Bar |pages=48 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342617/prospect-hall-bar/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915004144/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342617/prospect-hall-bar/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="n85342673">{{Cite news |date=June 8, 1901 |title=Question of Prospect Hall Rebuilding |pages=1 |work=The Brooklyn Citizen |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342673/question-of-prospect-hall-rebuilding/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915004151/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342673/question-of-prospect-hall-rebuilding/ |url-status=live}}</ref> According to building code, a bar could not operate on the same property as any building with stage facilities and over 300 seats.<ref name="n85342673" /> The owners appealed, and the Brooklyn buildings deputy commissioner indicated that he would approve the plans if the bar and some disallowed decorations were removed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 12, 1901 |title=Bar Proves a Barrier |pages=5 |work=[[Brooklyn Times-Union|Brooklyn Standard Union]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342758/bar-proves-a-barrier/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915004142/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342758/bar-proves-a-barrier/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In July 1901, the commissioner voted with the Board of Buildings to reverse his initial decision and approve the new plans.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 28, 1901 |title=Guilfoyle Reverses Himself |pages=4 |work=Times Union |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364607/guilfoyle-reverses-himself/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135530/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364607/guilfoyle-reverses-himself/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=July 13, 1901 |title=New Prospect Hall |pages=5 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364573/new-prospect-hall/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135541/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85364573/new-prospect-hall/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

The rebuilt Prospect Hall opened on February 2, 1903, and was also managed by John Kolle's son, William.<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=February 3, 1903 |title=Prospect Hall Opened |pages=8 |work=[[Brooklyn Times-Union|Brooklyn Standard Union]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85365656/prospect-hall-opened/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915140233/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85365656/prospect-hall-opened/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Shortly after the hall's reopening, the building nearly caught fire again. A fire started in the Kolle family's adjacent home, nearly killing one of his daughters.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=February 21, 1903 |title=Girl Unconscious in Burning Building |pages=4 |work=Times Union |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342840/girl-unconscious-in-burning-building/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915004154/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342840/girl-unconscious-in-burning-building/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=February 21, 1903 |title=Miss Kolle Near to Death |pages=1 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85365590/miss-kolle-near-to-death/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915140248/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85365590/miss-kolle-near-to-death/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Worried it would spread to the hall, the fire department sent an extra fire engine to help control it. While they successfully prevented damage to the hall, the house was destroyed. Firefighters had difficulty getting a sufficient stream of water due to a large [[eel]] which made its way into a fire hose, clogging it.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

In its early years, according to the ''New York Times''' Christopher Gray, spaces like Prospect Hall "sounded the heartbeat of the city" by hosting a variety of public and private events.<ref name="nyt19990110" /> It hosted political events like a rally held by [[William Randolph Hearst]] in 1906, a debate in 1907, an event featuring [[William Jennings Bryan]] in 1908, and a gathering in support of local subway service which drew 3,500 people.<ref name="nyt19990110" /> Many international celebrities held performances there, like opera star [[Enrico Caruso]], [[Lena Horne]], [[Ginger Rogers]], [[Fred Astaire]], and others.<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903">{{cite web |date=February 3, 1903 |title=Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn, NY |url=http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/61844 |access-date=September 14, 2021 |website=[[Cinema Treasures]] |archive-date=September 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913032747/http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/61844 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1911, singer and comedian [[Sophie Tucker]] performed.<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" /> [[Al Capone]] was known to have a [[Box (theatre)|box]] at the hall.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tomasson |first=Robert |date=October 11, 1987 |title=Social Events - The New York Times |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=SPN.SP01&u=nysl_me_bpl_cent&id=GALE%7CA176067858&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-SPN.SP01&asid=0cda6302 |url-status=live |access-date=September 13, 2021 |website=go.gale.com |archive-date=September 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913032744/https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=SPN.SP01&u=nysl_me_bpl_cent&id=GALE%7CA176067858&v=2.1&it=r&sid=bookmark-SPN.SP01&asid=0cda6302}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carlson |first=Jen |date=January 12, 2011 |title=Sleep Next Door To Where Al Capone Received His "Scarface" |url=https://gothamist.com/ |access-date=September 13, 2021 |website=[[Gothamist]] |language=en |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814224835/https://gothamist.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The venue also hosted meetings for politicians and club leaders,<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=August 26, 1938 |title=Old Prospect Hall, Scene Of Many a Historic Event |pages=30 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85365249/old-prospect-hall-scene-of-many-a/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135529/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85365249/old-prospect-hall-scene-of-many-a/ |url-status=live}}</ref> with certain nights devoted to annual balls in honor of several leaders.<ref name="n85365317">{{Cite news |last=Mara |first=Margaret |date=April 18, 1949 |title=Boomdeeay Back In Prospect Hall |pages=11 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85365317/boomdeeay-back-in-prospect/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915135532/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85365317/boomdeeay-back-in-prospect/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Organizations such as the Brooklyn Quartet Club and Brooklyn Rifle Club were also housed in the building.<ref name="nyt19990110" />

To the west of the main building, the Hour Motion Picture Theatre opened in 1910. The space to the east was converted into a Venetian garden in 1913 and was used for movie screenings.<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" /> According to the ''[[The New Yorker|New Yorker]],'' it became one of the first film production lots in the world after one of John Kolle's sons, Herman Kolle, founded the Crescent Film Company with [[Fred J. Balshofer]] and began making movies for [[Nickelodeon (movie theater)|nickelodeons]].<ref name=":10" /> Old advertisements for Prospect Hall described the "high-class motion pictures and [[vaudeville]]" that were displayed every night, as well as "country [[butcher]] shops" on Tuesdays and "safe and sane" [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] events every July 4.<ref name="nyt19990110" /> Over the years, the frequency of high-profile events at Prospect Hall, including political meetings, decreased.<ref name="n85365317" /> It continued to be used for events such as an October 1929 debate between [[Mayor of New York City|mayor]] [[Jimmy Walker]] and ex-[[Governor of New York|governor]] [[Al Smith]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 27, 1929 |title=5,000 Wildly Cheer Walker At Prospect Hall Rally |pages=82 |work=Times Union |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85420713/5000-wildly-cheer-walker-at-prospect/ |access-date=September 16, 2021 |archive-date=September 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916132815/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85420713/5000-wildly-cheer-walker-at-prospect/ |url-status=live}}</ref> as well as [[Works Progress Administration]] productions during the 1930s.<ref name="nyt19990110" /> The main ballroom was used for vaudeville and movie screenings during the summer between 1936 and 1940.<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" />

==== White Eagle ownership ====
William L. Kolle, son of William D. Kolle,<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 25, 1936 |title=Mrs. Emma Kolle |pages=17 |work=[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13113236/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle/ |access-date=September 30, 2021 |via=Newspapers.com |archive-date=September 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210930164053/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/13113236/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle/ |url-status=live }}</ref> sold the building in 1940 to the White Eagle Society, a group formed by [[Polish Americans|Polish immigrants]].<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" /><ref name="nyt20010101">{{Cite news |last=Cardwell |first=Diane |date=January 1, 2001 |title=Palatial Ballroom Evokes Memories Of a Bygone Era; Lovingly Restored Monument To City Dance-Hall Tradition |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/01/nyregion/palatial-ballroom-evokes-memories-bygone-era-lovingly-restored-monument-city.html |access-date=September 16, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916132815/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/01/nyregion/palatial-ballroom-evokes-memories-bygone-era-lovingly-restored-monument-city.html |url-status=live}}</ref> White Eagle converted it into a Polish-American community center.<ref name="n85365317" /><ref name="NPS p. 10">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1999|ps=.|p=10}}</ref> The organization repainted and repaired the building by 1949.<ref name="n85365317" /> Prospect Hall was used by fraternal societies and [[Trade union|labor unions]] throughout this time. The immediate vicinity began to decline in the 1950s, following the construction of the [[Prospect Expressway]] immediately across the street.<ref name="nyt19990110" />

White Eagle started to sell off some decorations by the 1960s to pay for repairs.<ref name="nyt19990110" /><ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" /> By then, Prospect Hall hosted occasional boxing matches.<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" /> The building, at that point known as the Polish Community Center, was renovated in 1970.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 28, 1970 |title=Polka, Anyone? |pages=339 |work=[[New York Daily News]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86297617/polka-anyone/ |access-date=October 1, 2021 |archive-date=October 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001125215/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86297617/polka-anyone/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The United Polish Societies of South Brooklyn called it their headquarters as of 1971, meeting one evening a month.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 24, 1971 |title=Polish Groups Looking Ahead For an Angel |pages=89 |work=[[New York Daily News]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86297552/polish-groups-looking-ahead-for-an-angel/ |access-date=October 1, 2021 |archive-date=October 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001125223/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/86297552/polish-groups-looking-ahead-for-an-angel/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Dances and concerts were also hosted in Prospect Hall until the 1970s.<ref name="nyt20010101" /> It was completely shuttered by 1981, at which point it had deteriorated so much that there were barrels throughout the space to catch rain from the leaking roof. The ground-floor restaurant saw little business but continued to operate nevertheless.<ref name="nyt19990110" />

==== Halkias ownership ====
[[File:Zlatne Uste Golden Festival Grand Prospect Hall photo by Clément Thiery.jpg|thumb|People dancing during the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival, a [[Balkan]] cultural event]]
[[Greek Americans|Greek-American]] couple Michael and Alice Halkias bought the hall in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grand Prospect Park Hall Owner Dies |website=Spectrum News NY1 &#124; New York City |date=May 7, 2020 |url=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/brooklyn/news/2020/05/07/grand-prospect-park-hall-owner-dies | access-date=May 8, 2020 | archive-date=May 17, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517055414/https://www.ny1.com/nyc/brooklyn/news/2020/05/07/grand-prospect-park-hall-owner-dies | url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> Michael Halkias was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in Greece and Syria before coming back to the United States in 1966.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news|last=Berger|first=Joseph|date=2011-04-09|title=Catering Hall's Plan for a Hotel Upsets the Neighbors|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/nyregion/09metjournal.html|access-date=2022-01-09|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He was a former [[real estate agent]], [[Travel agency|travel agent]], and [[Employment agency|employment agent]] who helped Greek people immigrate to the United States.<ref name=":9"/> He also worked in radio, advertising, and publishing before purchasing the hall.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=Randle |first=Aaron |date=May 24, 2020 |title=Michael Halkias, Who Promised Wish Fulfillment at Banquet Hall, Dies at 82 |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/24/obituaries/michael-halkias-dead-coronavirus.html |access-date=September 13, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913143325/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/24/obituaries/michael-halkias-dead-coronavirus.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Under the Halkiases' ownership, Prospect Hall was renamed Grand Prospect Hall.<ref name="nyt20010101" /> The couple renovated the hall in a piecemeal fashion over the following 18 years, with a staff of 30 to 90 restorers. Michael Halkias chose to redesign the main ballroom in "happy colors" rather than the original paint scheme, with [[carving]]s of fruit in different colors based on what he shouted to the painters. ''Brownstoner'' wrote that "the Halkias' never met gilding and ostentation that they didn't like".<ref name=":3" /> Michael also attempted to clean the facade several times, but ultimately decided to paint it in 1998. He recovered the original [[mural]]s after a chance encounter while waiting in line at a bank in [[Bay Ridge, Brooklyn]], when a stranger mentioned that he had purchased them.<ref name="nyt19990110" />

In 1983, [[Borough president|Borough President]] [[Howard Golden]] proclaimed March 10 to be an annual "Grand Prospect Hall Day" in Brooklyn.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2012 |title=The Grand Prospect Hall: Brooklyn's Jewel |url=https://hellenicnews.com/the-grand-prospect-hall-brooklyns-jewel/ |access-date=September 27, 2021 |website=Hellenic News of America |language=en-US |archive-date=September 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927001240/https://hellenicnews.com/the-grand-prospect-hall-brooklyns-jewel/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Starting in 1986, the Halkiases gained a measure of local fame for producing and starring in [[Local advertising|cheaply shot commercials]] for the hall which aired regularly on local television.<ref name="NYDN 2011-01-13">{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Jennifer |last2=Fanelli |first2=James |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/grand-prospect-hall-penchant-cheesy-ads-pays-owners-raking-dough-article-1.154094 |title=Grand Prospect Hall's penchant for cheesy ads pays off for owners raking in the dough |work=[[New York Daily News]] |publisher=[[Tribune Publishing]] |date=January 13, 2011 |url-status=live |access-date=September 17, 2019 |archive-date=March 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304142156/http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/grand-prospect-hall-penchant-cheesy-ads-pays-owners-raking-dough-article-1.154094}}</ref> The ads contained various shots of the interior spaces, showing events held there, set to orchestral music, with a sales pitch from the Halkiases typically including a phrase which became associated with them: "We make your dreams come true!"<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Wong |first=Ashley |date=August 26, 2021 |title=The Dream May Be Over for the Grand Prospect Hall |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/26/nyregion/grand-prospect-hall-brooklyn-new-owner.html |access-date=September 13, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210905225612/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/26/nyregion/grand-prospect-hall-brooklyn-new-owner.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The tagline, according to ''[[The Brooklyn Paper|Brooklyn Paper]]'', is "instantly recognizable to any New Yorker who owned a television set."<ref name=":7" /> The commercials have been parodied on both ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'' and ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://tvline.com/2019/02/17/snl-recap-don-cheadle-best-worst-sketches-watch-video/ |title=Don Cheadle Hosts SNL: Watch Video of the Best & Worst Sketches |last=Schwartz |first=Ryan |work=[[TVLine]] |date=February 17, 2019 |accessdate=September 17, 2019 |quote=The cutaways to Cheadle (whose employee served as chef, photographer and DJ) were the best part of this commercial parody for the Grand Prospect Hall wannabe. |archive-date=February 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220050850/https://tvline.com/2019/02/17/snl-recap-don-cheadle-best-worst-sketches-watch-video/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Don Cheadle/Gary Clark Jr. |series=[[Saturday Night Live]] |network=[[NBC]] |season=44 |number=4413 |date=February 16, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> [[Jimmy Kimmel|Kimmel]] paired the Halkiases with [[Pete Alonso]] of the [[New York Mets]], spoofing the commercials. Kimmel was quoted in ''The New York Times'' saying "If you live in New York, and if you've ever owned a television, you've probably seen these commercials," joking that they "are wonderful, but they've been running the same ones for 125 years."<ref name=":6" />

In 1999, Grand Prospect Hall was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (NRHP). The listing describes the hall as "probably the largest and best-preserved example of its type, the Victorian assembly hall set within a great ethnic community facility, remaining in the country".<ref name="NPS p. 11">{{harvnb|ps=.|National Park Service|1999|p=11}}</ref> However, NRHP status does not restrict what non-federal owners can do with a property. At the time, the building was not granted official [[New York City landmark|city landmark status]] from the [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] (LPC), which would grant protections from redevelopment.<ref name=":5" /> In 2001, the Halkiases reopened the original bar on the first floor after restoring it.<ref name="nyt20010101" />

The Halkiases proposed new construction on the property in 2011: an eleven-story building including a hotel and large parking garage.<ref name=":9" /> Local residents objected to the development on the grounds the new building would block sunlight. The Halkiases distributed flyers to convince people it was out of necessity, to continue focusing on nicer events rather than open up their venue to cheap, high-volume functions.<ref name=":10">{{Cite magazine|last=Ames|first=Michael|date=2021-12-15|title=Why Did the Grand Prospect Hall Have to Die?|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-local-correspondents/why-did-the-grand-prospect-hall-have-to-die|access-date=2022-01-09|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|language=en-US}}</ref> The flyers upset some neighbors, who viewed it as a threat, while Michael Halkias described it as an economic necessity.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Buiso|first=Gary|date=January 13, 2011|title='Grand' Threat? Hotel Plan Includes Not-So-Subtle Warning|url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/grand-threat-hotel-plan-includes-not-so-subtle-warning/|access-date=January 9, 2022|website=[[The Brooklyn Paper]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Buiso|first=Gary|date=January 11, 2011|title=Ain't it 'Grand'? Prospect Hall plans 11-story hotel • Brooklyn Paper|url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/aint-it-grand-prospect-hall-plans-11-story-hotel/|access-date=January 9, 2022|website=[[The Brooklyn Paper]]|language=en-US}}</ref> The request for a zoning exception was not approved.<ref name=":10" />

The hall was primarily an event space, hosting weddings, [[bar mitzvah|bar]] and [[bat mitzvah]]s, corporate events and high-school proms.<ref name="nyt20010101" /> The Halkiases rented the building as a filming location for films, TV shows, and commercials including ''[[The Cotton Club (film)|The Cotton Club]]'', ''[[Prizzi’s Honor]]'', ''[[The Royal Tenenbaums]], [[Gossip Girl]]'', and [[Twin Peaks (season 3)|season three of ''Twin Peaks'']].<ref name="GPHFilming">{{cite web |title=Grand Prospect Hall – New York City's premier historic filming location |url=https://grandprospect.com/filming-grand-prospect-hall/ |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917040259/https://grandprospect.com/filming-grand-prospect-hall/ |archivedate=September 17, 2019 |accessdate=September 17, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":5" /> It has also hosted events such as [[Flame Con]], an LGBTQ comic book convention,<ref name=":5" /> and the rock band [[Arcade Fire]] held an ''[[Everything Now]]'' album release concert there for 1,500 fans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gill |first=Lauren |title=Rock band releases album at Slope's gilded Grand Prospect Hall • Brooklyn Paper |url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/rock-band-releases-album-at-slopes-gilded-grand-prospect-hall/ |access-date=September 12, 2021 |website=[[The Brooklyn Paper]] |date=July 25, 2017 |language=en-US |archive-date=September 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210912002852/https://www.brooklynpaper.com/rock-band-releases-album-at-slopes-gilded-grand-prospect-hall/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carlson |first=Jen |date=July 28, 2017 |title=Videos: Inside Arcade Fire's Intimate Concert At Brooklyn's Grand Prospect Hall |url=https://gothamist.com/ |access-date=September 12, 2021 |website=[[Gothamist]] |language=en |archive-date=August 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814224835/https://gothamist.com/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Sale to Rigas ====
[[File:Scaffolding 2021 Grand Prospect Hall.jpg|thumb|The hall covered in scaffolding in September 2021]]
Business suffered during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], and Grand Prospect Hall closed in March 2020. Two months later, on May 6, Michael Halkias died at the age of 82 due to complications from [[COVID-19]].<ref name=":6" /> In June 2021, the building was sold, along with eleven other adjacent properties, to contractor Angelo Rigas for $30 million.<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 15, 2021 |title=Grand Prospect Hall Sold in $30M Park Slope Assemblage |url=https://therealdeal.com/2021/07/15/grand-prospect-hall-sold-in-park-slope-assemblage/ |access-date=September 13, 2021 |website=[[The Real Deal (magazine)|The Real Deal New York]] |language=en-US |archive-date=September 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913160205/https://therealdeal.com/2021/07/15/grand-prospect-hall-sold-in-park-slope-assemblage/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The interior was largely auctioned off before the sale was announced, with some of the decorations and fixtures sold to other local businesses and antiques sellers.<ref name=":10" />

On August 19, 2021, the ''[[The Brooklyn Paper|Brooklyn Paper]]'' reported that Rigas, through Gowanus Cubes LLC, had filed permits to demolish the properties, including Grand Prospect Hall.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |date=August 19, 2021 |title=GRAND PROSPECT HALL SLATED FOR THE WRECKING BALL |work=[[The Brooklyn Paper]] |url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/grand-prospect-hall-slated-for-the-wrecking-ball/ |access-date=August 21, 2021 |archive-date=August 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210820173920/https://www.brooklynpaper.com/grand-prospect-hall-slated-for-the-wrecking-ball/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 20, 2021 |title=Grand Prospect Hall in Brooklyn Scheduled to Be Demolished |url=https://therealdeal.com/2021/08/20/grand-prospect-hall-to-be-demolished/ |access-date=September 17, 2021 |website=[[The Real Deal (magazine)|The Real Deal New York]] |language=en-US |archive-date=September 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917161631/https://therealdeal.com/2021/08/20/grand-prospect-hall-to-be-demolished/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Local activists began a petition to try to save the building from demolition and asked the LPC to hold hearings for landmark status.<ref name=":5" /> The petition gained 40,000 supporters, including city councilman [[Brad Lander]], who described it as "a site of many memories and melodies for generations of Brooklynites".<ref name=trd20210915/> A judge issued an [[injunction]] to halt demolition in early September 2021, since a demolished building could not be considered for landmark status.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lovinger |first=Joe |date=September 2, 2021 |title=Brooklyn Judge Pauses Grand Prospect Hall Demolition |url=https://therealdeal.com/2021/09/02/judge-pauses-grand-prospect-hall-demolition/ |access-date=September 17, 2021 |website=[[The Real Deal (magazine)|The Real Deal New York]] |language=en-US |archive-date=September 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917161635/https://therealdeal.com/2021/09/02/judge-pauses-grand-prospect-hall-demolition/ |url-status=live}}</ref> However, the LPC refused to hold a hearing to consider the building for landmark status, since the exterior had been too extensively modified from its original design.<ref name=trd20210915>{{Cite web |last=Lovinger |first=Joe |date=September 15, 2021 |title=City Won't Landmark Brooklyn's Grand Prospect Hall |url=https://therealdeal.com/2021/09/15/city-wont-landmark-grand-prospect-hall-clearing-way-for-demolition/ |access-date=September 17, 2021 |website=[[The Real Deal (magazine)|The Real Deal New York]] |language=en-US |archive-date=September 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917161632/https://therealdeal.com/2021/09/15/city-wont-landmark-grand-prospect-hall-clearing-way-for-demolition/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Stein |first=Mark D. |title=Grand Prospect Hall's 'imminent demolition' likely as landmark status denied, report says |website=silive |date=September 15, 2021 |url=https://www.silive.com/news/2021/09/grand-prospect-halls-imminent-demolition-likely-as-landmark-status-denied-report-says.html | access-date=September 17, 2021 | archive-date=September 16, 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210916142550/https://www.silive.com/news/2021/09/grand-prospect-halls-imminent-demolition-likely-as-landmark-status-denied-report-says.html | url-status=live}}</ref> Among the LPC's reasons for denying the request were that the fourth-floor [[pediment]] had been removed, the [[frieze]] above ground level had been modified, and the entrance [[portico]] had been enclosed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/grand-prospect-hall-denied-landmark-status/ |title=Grand Prospect Hall Denied Landmark Status |first=Ben |last=Verde |date=September 14, 2021 |access-date=September 17, 2021 |website=[[The Brooklyn Paper]] |archive-date=September 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917161632/https://www.brooklynpaper.com/grand-prospect-hall-denied-landmark-status/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Much of the interior had also been demolished already.<ref name=trd20210915/>

The demolition permits were approved in November 2021, though at that time there was not a concrete timeline for it to move forward.<ref>{{Cite news|last=McShane|first=Julianne|date=November 9, 2021|title=Bittersweet Memories of Grand Prospect Hall|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/style/grand-prospect-hall-brooklyn-demolition.html|access-date=December 20, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> ''[[Brooklyn Magazine]]'' reported in February 2022 that it would be replaced with a five-story residential building.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 3, 2022|title=Surprising no one, Grand Prospect Hall is indeed being replaced by condos|url=https://www.bkmag.com/2022/02/03/surprising-no-one-grand-prospect-hall-is-indeed-being-replaced-by-condos/|access-date=February 3, 2022|website=[[Brooklyn Magazine]]}}</ref> The demolition was completed by February 25, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brachfeld |first=Ben |date=February 25, 2022 |title=On 'Fittingly Bleak Day,' Grand Prospect Hall Is Officially No More |url=https://www.brooklynpaper.com/grand-prospect-halls-facade-has-been-demolished/ |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=[[The Brooklyn Paper]]}}</ref>

== Building ==
The later building was designed in the [[French Renaissance architecture|French Renaissance]] style by architect [[Ulrich J. Huberty]], who also designed the [[Boathouse on the Lullwater of the Lake in Prospect Park|Prospect Park Boathouse]] and Tennis House. The building carried the address 263 Prospect Avenue.<ref name="NPS p. 3"/><ref name="enc-nyc2">{{cite enc-nyc2|page=545}}</ref> Grand Prospect Hall faces the [[Prospect Expressway]] (NY 27) to the south.<ref name="NPS p. 3">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1999|ps=.|p=3}}</ref> Originally, there was a beer garden around the building, which may have contained a [[Ferris wheel]] as well as an "electric tower", but these were removed around 1914.<ref name="NPS p. 3" />

=== Facade ===
The building was four stories tall and faced in buff-gray brick, with pressed metal decoration that was originally colored to resemble [[limestone]].<ref name="NPS p. 3" /><ref name="nrhpinv_ny">{{cite web |author=Craig Morrison |date=September 1998 |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration:Prospect Hall |url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=3369 |publisher=[[New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation]] |accessdate=February 20, 2011 |archive-date=October 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019040910/http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=3369 |url-status=live}} ''See also:'' {{cite web |title=Accompanying 10 photos |url=http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=3370 |access-date=February 22, 2011 |archive-date=October 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019040923/http://www.oprhp.state.ny.us/hpimaging/hp_view.asp?GroupView=3370 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The windows were surmounted by pediments, while the top of the building had a [[cornice]] with a sculpted pediment in the center. The first floor was designed with storefronts, as well as an entrance with columns at the center; these were subsequently modified.<ref name="NPS p. 3" />

It was designed with a [[frontage]] of {{cvt|75|ft}} and a depth of {{cvt|215|ft}}.<ref name="n85342309">{{Cite news |date=October 19, 1901 |title=New Prospect Hall |pages=2 |work=Times Union |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342309/new-prospect-hall/ |access-date=September 14, 2021 |postscript=. {{PD-notice}} |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915004152/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342309/new-prospect-hall/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="p85342919">{{Cite news |date=October 19, 1901 |title=New Prospect Hall |pages=17 |work=[[Brooklyn Eagle|Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342919/new-prospect-hall/ |access-date=September 15, 2021 |postscript=. {{PD-notice}} |archive-date=September 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210915004140/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85342919/new-prospect-hall/ |url-status=live}}</ref> A one-story annex continued east of the main structure. The side and rear facades were clad with brick and did not contain any ornamentation, while the roofs of the building were flat.<ref name="NPS p. 3" />

=== Features ===
[[File:Tito Bieves Live - Salsa - Grand Prospect Hall BK NYC 2019 light.jpg|thumb|People in the ballroom during a [[Tito Nieves]] performance in March 2019]]
Grand Prospect Hall could fit 8,000 people in total, or 5,925 people when used as a dining venue.<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" /> Covering {{cvt|140000|ft2}}, it had several rooms including a garden area and a large ballroom.<ref name="enc-nyc2" /> Grand Prospect Hall featured the first [[Otis Worldwide|Otis]] [[Elevator|bird cage elevator]] in New York and was the first fully electrified public building in Brooklyn.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Morris) |first=Suzanne Spellen (aka Montrose |date=September 7, 2021 |title=Entertaining Brooklyn: The History of Grand Prospect Hall |url=https://www.brownstoner.com/architecture/grand-prospect-hall-brooklyn-history-263-prospect-avenue-architecture-michael-halkias-dreams-come-true/ |access-date=September 13, 2021 |website=[[Brownstoner Magazine]] |language=en-US |archive-date=September 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210913032744/https://www.brownstoner.com/architecture/grand-prospect-hall-brooklyn-history-263-prospect-avenue-architecture-michael-halkias-dreams-come-true/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The elevator cab was constructed like a cage and was wrapped by a staircase on the western side of the building.<ref name="NPS p. 4">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1999|ps=.|p=4}}</ref> The basement was also designed with a bowling alley, a [[billiard room]], a kitchen, and a laundry.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /> The bowling alley was divided into two sections and had fourteen lanes in total, though the bowling alley was long abandoned by 1999.<ref name="NPS p. 5">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1999|ps=.|p=5}}</ref> [[Dynamo|Electric dynamos]], engines, and boilers were installed beneath the sidewalk.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /> There was also a [[roof garden]].<ref name="nyt19990110" />

The front portion of the building was arranged around a large central staircase.<ref name="NPS p. 3" /> The main entrance was designed with an entryway measuring {{cvt|18|ft}} wide.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /> The central staircase, made of [[cast iron]] with marble [[Stair tread|treads]], connected the entrance [[Lobby (room)|foyer]] with a two-story-high hallway on an upper level. At the first landing was a pair of decorative [[box office]]s.<ref name="NPS p. 4" /> The first floor of the front portion was designed with a restaurant, club room, "Alt Deutsche" beer hall, bar room, and women's parlor.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /> The bar, east of the main staircase, had an oak countertop as well as a plaster and marble bar.<ref name="NPS p. 5" /> There was also a banquet hall measuring {{cvt|60|by|80|ft}}, which was spanned by large steel girders. The second floor of the front portion had a cafe, [[loggia]]s, cloak rooms, and women's parlor. The third floor had more reception and cloak rooms and other women's parlors. The fourth floor had two elaborately decorated lodge rooms with auxiliary spaces, anterooms, and preparation rooms.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" />

The rear of the building was arranged around the ballroom, which was at the top of the staircase.<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" /><ref name="NPS pp. 3-4">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1999|ps=.|pp=3&ndash;4}}</ref> Measuring {{cvt|68|by|125|ft}} across by {{cvt|40|ft}} tall,<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /> The ballroom was variously cited as containing 1,500<ref name="Freudenheim 1999 p. 247">{{cite book |last=Freudenheim |first=Ellen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6JDcZ794OuwC&pg=PA247 |title=Brooklyn!, 2nd Edition: The Ultimate Guide to New York's Most Happening Borough |publisher=St. Martin's Press |year=1999 |isbn=978-0-312-20446-4 |page=247 |access-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914235700/https://books.google.com/books?id=6JDcZ794OuwC&pg=PA247 |url-status=live}}</ref> or 1,700 seats.<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" /> Two levels overlooked the space:<ref name="Cinema Treasures 1903" /><ref name="Freudenheim 1999 p. 247" /> a lower balcony and an upper [[gallery (theatre)|gallery]], both accessed by marble stairs.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /> Both of these levels were supported on marble columns and surround the ballroom on all sides except the front.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /><ref name="NPS p. 4" /> They had decorative elements such as [[garland]]s and [[cartouche]]s. The balcony consisted of a set of [[Box (theatre)|theater boxes]] that are sloped slightly downward to the front of Grand Prospect Hall.<ref name="NPS p. 4" /> It was designed with 26 private boxes and four larger proscenium boxes.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /> The gallery had a steeper downward [[rake (theatre)|rake]] and contained wooden benches and plaster rails. The ceiling was mostly flat, though it was surrounded by a [[coved ceiling|cove]].<ref name="NPS p. 4" /> The central dome, which contained direct and indirect lighting, was {{cvt|35|ft}} across.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /> The rear of the ballroom, near the northern end, had a stage inside a plaster proscenium, which in turn had a cornice atop it.<ref name="NPS p. 4" /> There were auxiliary spaces, such as dressing rooms, adjacent to the stage.<ref name="n85342309" /><ref name="p85342919" /><ref name="NPS p. 4" />

A one-story [[Wing (architecture)|wing]] extended east of the main hall and was added not long after Grand Prospect Hall's rebuilding in 1902. Known as the [[Ratskeller|rathskeller]], it had been used as a restaurant since its opening. The walls of the rathskeller contained decorated oak paneling, canvas murals, and a tin ceiling.<ref name="NPS p. 4" />

== See also ==
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Brooklyn]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==

* {{cite web |date=April 15, 1999 |title=Grand Prospect Hall |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/99000460.pdf |publisher=[[National Register of Historic Places]], [[National Park Service]] |ref={{harvid|National Park Service|1999}}}}

== External links ==
{{commons category|Grand Prospect Hall}}
*{{YouTube|5lXpwnXWrY8|The Grand Prospect Hall Commercial (1986)}}
*{{YouTube|L2_cOuO9rps|Wedding Venue Ad - SNL}}
* [https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/photos/grand-prospect-hall-august-2021-demolition?image=1 ''Locals Scramble To Save What's Left Of Historic Grand Prospect Hall''], images of the interior being demolished, August 27, 2021, by Scott Lynch for Gothamist
* [http://sky.easypano.com/user/178983/works.html?sort=2&albumId=0&displayAlbum=0 Panoramic images] on EP-Sky. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203212713/http://sky.easypano.com/user/178983/works.html?sort=2&albumId=0&displayAlbum=0 |date=3 February 2022}}

[[Category:1892 establishments in New York (state)]]
[[Category:2022 disestablishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures destroyed in 2022]]
[[Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1892]]
[[Category:Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in New York City]]
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Brooklyn]]
[[Category:Park Slope]]