A Self-Guided Walking Tour of Main Street in the Historic Village of Catskill, NY 373 Main St. - Community Theater — In 1920 over 300 community residents bought shares to rebuild The Community Theater after fire destroyed the old Nelida Theatre on January 3, 1917. Several other buildings were lost in the blaze including the Van Gordon & Company stationery store. Originally built as a skating rink circa 1890 but, by 1912, high school plays and graduations, vaudeville productions and lectures of famous people such as Admiral Robert E. Peary, who discovered the North Pole, were presented here. In 1976 the balcony was extended and a wall built to hold a second screen making a duplex theater. Notice the chandelier hanging above the stairs. It came from a French chateau and was made about 1860. 379-387 Main St. - The “Center Brick Block” — This block originally contained five stores, all alike except for the center building that had an arched entrance to distinguish it from the other four stores. This arch was removed when the store front was renovated in 1900. 383 Main St. was originally Samuel Smith’s Grocery. It was he who initiated the plans for this block when his frame store burned down in 1825. This block was considered a “miracle of architecture” when constructed in 1826. It was quite prestigious to have a store in the “Center Brick Block”in the 1800s. 379 Main Street is the site of the oldest pharmacy in New York State. Known as the Dubois Pharmacy for over 100 years, D. Thomas O’Hara Croswell started that pharmacy business in 1795. 387 Main St., now Bell’s Café was extensively modernized in the Italianate style probably around 1870 and no longer looks related to the others except upon close inspection of the brick work. 391 Main St. — The Selleck Building, built in 1890, was advertised as “the most prominent building in Catskill” and was home to the Selleck & Co. Bakery. In 1916 it became home to the Upper Hudson Electric and Railroad Co. and then Central Hudson Gas & Electric.
	A WEBSITE OF