Program

NYS Historic

Subject

People, Site

Location

224 Smith Clove Rd, Highland Mills, NY 10930, USA

Lat/Long

41.339774550749, -74.104823218592

Grant Recipient

Woodbury Historical Society

Frederick Freeman Proctor was born in Boston in 1851. He was only a young boy when his father passed away, but he went to work as an errand boy in a local store to provide for his family. After his shifts, Proctor practiced gymnastics at a local gymnasium. It was here that he attracted the attention of a circus performer, who gave him a job. Proctor went on to work as a circus and vaudeville performer and toured the United States and Europe with his act. This experience led him to return to the U.S. and purchase his own theater in Albany, NY in 1886.

1912. F. Proctor went on to build a vast empire of theaters across New York State and New Jersey. Known as the “Dean of Vaudeville”, Proctor became a successful theater magnate and show producer. Proctor had an eye for talent and was known for his determination to obtain and invest in quality performances. Not only did he own and develop vaudeville theaters, but he also produced a traveling vaudeville show and presented early movies, starting in 1912. Proctor owned more than 20 theaters before he retired in 1929. He died at his family’s estate three weeks later.

In 1909, Proctor purchased 1,142 acres of farmland in Central Valley, NY for a summer resort. He named his estate “Proctoria” and proceeded to create several buildings and amenities on the property over the next three years. The estate was comprised of four main residences, numerous agricultural and support facilities, a golf course, and two artificial lakes. One of these structures, the “Gatehouse”, an impressive stone building with a wrought iron gate and fencing, served as an entry point to the estate. This structure stood the test of time and is now one of the last remaining structures from Proctoria. This building now houses the Woodbury Historical Society’s Gatehouse Museum and Learning Center.

Proctor left a fortune of $6,000,000 to his family, actors, and employees upon his death in 1929. Since his wife had difficulty selling Proctoria amidst the Great Depression, the property lingered on the market for several years. The U.S. Army purchased the land in 1944, as an expansion of the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point. The USMA has hosted cadet military training and morale, welfare, and recreational activities on the property.