Woodbourne, Sullivan County

The Center Theater in Woodbourne was constructed in 1938 to serve the growing Sullivan County resort industry of the era. The building was designed in the Art Deco style by Abraham H. Okun of Monticello, a prominent regional architect, and built by Jacob Bernard Sacks of Mountaindale. The Center Theatre seated 650 in its auditorium and was the first air-conditioned theater in Sullivan County. The popular theater presented a range of entertainment including vaudeville acts, concerts and movies. With the decline of regional tourism, the historic theater closed in the 1980s and, despite occasional talk of restoration by various local organizations, it has remained abandoned ever since. Despite its decrepit outward appearance, the Center Theater, also known as the Woodbourne Theater and later as the Peace Palace, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.