Buffalo, NY’s Historic Allendale Theater Undergoes Architectural Restoration

In the heart of Buffalo’s historic Allentown neighborhood, the Allendale Theater remains a cornerstone of the thriving artistic culture of the area. The building is a Neo-Classical Revival built in 1913 as a place for people to see vaudeville shows. Later it was converted into a cinema with the addition of a marquee; everything was set for the building’s continued success. However, in 1982 the Allendale Theater closed as the area, as well as many other rust belt cities, faced dramatic economic decline. It wasn’t until 1999 that the Allendale Theatre re-opened after being left vacant for several years.

The theater is currently run by the Theatre of Youth (TOY), a staple of Buffalo’s theatrical community and are continuing their efforts to preserve one of the oldest theatre institutions in Western New York. Boston Valley Terra Cotta has been working alongside the Theatre of Youth to repair some of the pieces of terra cotta from the building facade. Below are units of terra cotta masonry in the finishing department, before they undergo glaze application and firing.

The topmost feature of the building’s exterior is being worked on in the finishing department.

Units of terra cotta drying before firing.

The same pieces of terra cotta after glaze application and firing.