BAM’s Harvey Theater is a prominent feature in Fort Greene, Brooklyn with a history steeped in revival and rebirth in the Fort Greene community. Historical Windows created a custom replica for the centerpiece semi-circular window.

The curtains rise

Built in 1904 by Leopold Eidlitz, the New York State Capitol architect, the space opened as the Majestic Theater. Its architectural details paired well with its variety of dramas, operas, and Broadway test productions.

In 1942, the Theater was converted into a first-run European-style movie house by a Parisian fleeing the Nazis. It was a bustling part of Brooklyn’s entertainment district until the 1960s, when the television industry redefined the show experience and the building was abandoned.

The old Majestic Theater was in rough shape before BAM rescued it.

It stood empty and in a state of disuse and disrepair until 1987 when BAM’s then-President Harvey Lichenstein rediscovered it in a quest for finding a home for their upcoming production of Mahabharata.

A revival

BAM rescued the space and breathed new life into the structure and renamed it the BAM Majestic. The seven-month, five million dollar renovation intertwined many of the original architectural details, the spirit of the found location by retaining distressed elements, and then-modern theater technology.

In 1999, BAM renamed the theater in honor of Harvey Lichtenstein’s retirement and legacy.

A second act

BAM undertook a second renovation at the Harvey as part of BAM Strong, which unites BAM venues along Fulton Street. BAM Strong created The Rudin Family Gallery and Robert W. Wilson Sculpture Terrace (both accessible from the Harvey), a new elevator to the Harvey’s balcony level, and new ground-level space at 230 Ashland Place. The renovations extended over a period of seven years, starting in 2012 and drawing to a conclusion in 2019.

The HWNY Team working on the installation.

The heart of the renovation was the more than 100-year old 20-foot semi-circular window that graces the new second floor Patron’s Lounge. The window was largely untouched in the 1987 renovation.

BAM’s challenge was how to restore a massive and key architectural feature of the front façade, improve the structural integrity of the Theater, integrate modern materials and design with a nod to the original history, and improve interior comfort and energy efficiency.

A closer look at the detailed craftsmanship from the interior of the new Patron’s Lounge at BAM Harvey.

Enter stage left: Historical Windows

The Historical Windows team investigation revealed, like many windows of its time, that the 20-foot window was held in place by only a few nails, hollow mull posts, and completely lacking framing, anchors, and insulation. The window was beyond repair. Creating a replica was the only option.

The exterior boasts just as many fine details, all painstakingly replicated in mahogany from the original Majestic window.

The window was painstakingly removed and the pieces shipped to Honduras, where a complete replica was hand-carved, matching every curve and every detail in Honduran mahogany (Swietenia macrophilia). It took 13 weeks to finish.

While the new window was being carved, Historical Windows installed fire-treated lumber around the opening at the Harvey Theater, along with new mull posts and anchor points to ensure structural integrity. Engineering pull tests at the curve and sill verified the new framing could handle the load of the new window.

The hand-carved pieces were dry fit and shipped back to New York in sections to be built within the opening. Historic Windows expertly reassembled each section one by one to ensure a perfect installation and exact replica of the original window.

While not in a Landmark district, the new window in the Patron’s Lounge meets all Landmark standards.

A standing ovation

The Harvey Theater reopened October 15, 2019 and kicked off the Next Wave Festival. The finished window stands as a beautiful testament to the Harvey’s rebirth and BAM’s goal to bridge the past and future.