Volume I: Narrative History

Chapter 7 (1914): Thanhouser Park

Situated behind the studio complex on Main Street, Thanhouser Park consisted of about three acres landscaped by Joseph Turner, the firm's scenic artist, into a verdant patch of greenery, complete with a waterfall, wooden bridges, Oriental-style buildings, thatched cottages, and other structures, all of which were intended to serve as film settings. Citizens of New Rochelle were invited to use Thanhouser Park, unless a film crew happened to be at work there.

Reel Life, July 11, 1914, told of the opening ceremonies:

Thanhouser Park, surrounding the Thanhouser studios, was dedicated by the people of New Rochelle, Tuesday, July 7. New Rochelle citizens are so proud of their star industry that they turned out with bands of music. Charles J. Hite, president of the Thanhouser Company, kept open house at the studio, where everybody was invited to see the great plant and to make the acquaintance of the playerfolk....

A small section of a wooden outdoor stage that allowed several productions to be set up at the same time.

Courtesy of the American Museum of the Moving Image/Lawrence Williams Collection (M-12--2 & M-15-X)

The Photoplay Arts Portfolio of Thanhouser Moving-Picture Stars with Biographies and Autographs, published in late summer 1914, told more about Thanhouser Park and the studio facilities:

The present plant of the Thanhouser Company at New Rochelle embraces ten acres, containing three studio buildings and offices. In addition, one outdoor stage is set in the middle of a natural park, and another outdoor stage has the water as a background. The park, recently completed, has been donated to the City of New Rochelle by Mr. Hite, and its use by residents of New Rochelle is permitted daily. Note

The Thanhouser equipment comprises stables containing nine horses, some of which are high-schooled saddle horses and high jumpers. Four light bay horses are used as a coaching team which ranks high among the horse flesh in Westchester County. A large steam yacht, two motor boats, a speed boat capable of making fifty-two and a half knots per hour, two sailboats, and numerous small boats, such as an eight-oar shell and two four-oared shells, are moored in Echo Bay, which borders the Thanhouser property to the south. There are seven automobiles and two electrics, and one hydro-aeroplane constitutes the air equipment.

The day of the park dedication, July 7th, was also Thanhouser Day for the entire town, as part of the Patriotic Week celebration which began on Saturday morning July 4th. On that day thousands of celebrants gathered in Hudson Park to observe Independence Day, the kick-off for a series of events. On Tuesday, Thanhouser Day arrived and was duly covered by The New Rochelle Paragraph: Note

The sun peeping forth from the threatening clouds about 3:00 p.m. Tuesday was responsible for the visitation of more than 1,000 people to the studio of the Thanhouser Film Corporation from 3:00 to 5:00. It had been arranged with the Patriot Week Committee of New Rochelle Association to entertain the public on that day. A picture of a big battle scene was to have been taken to show the visitors how movies are made and also to take a motion film of the group which was to have been shown that evening.

The visitors were escorted through the studio, offices, dressing rooms, etc. and saw several pictures in the course of production. Miss Jessie B. Bishop, secretary and director of the company, was prominent in taking care of the visitors. Miss Bishop gave an interesting description of how movies are made to quite a few people.

There was a band concert on Tuesday evening by the Mozart Musical Society on the property of the Pintard Realty Company adjoining the Public Library, which was attended by about 2,000 people. Many people were disappointed because there was no exhibition by the Thanhouser Company, and chairman Frank J. Chapman has made arrangements with the film company for an exhibition on Thursday evening on the Pintard property. A picture will be taken of local people during the day and shown that evening....