Article on the history of and fire at the Winter Garden Theatre

Destruction of the Winter Garden Theatre.

The Winter-Garden-Theater does not exist anymore. It burned down on Saturday, the 23rd. In only a short time period other theaters have suffered the same fate such as the Academy of Music and the New Bowery-Theater.

Details of the rescue efforts follow: Costumes worth $60,000 were destroyed. They were not insured. Mrs. Methua Scheller lost her private wardrobe worth $2000, all other actors lost their wardrobe as well. It is not known what caused the fire.

In the location of the former Winter Garden used to be another theater: Trippler Hall. The famous Jenny Lind performed here. This theater also became a victim of a fire in 1855. The Winter Garden had several owners and theater names. During the time of ownership by the actor Edwin Eddy, it was called Metropolitan Theater. When Laura Keene took over the theater, it was named after her. Burton rented the theater until his death, after he gave up his theater at Chamber Street. After that the gentlemen Stuart & Bourejeault became owners in 1859. When Bourejeault moved to England, Stuart renamed the theater Winter Garden. Under Stuart’s capable management, the Winter Garden soon became one of the best and most popular theaters in the country, and the place of the New York debut of the greatest American actor Edwin Booth. Other famous artists that performed at the Winter Garden were Miss Bateman, Miss Charlotte Cushman, and the Germans Mrs. Methua-Scheller and Bogumil Dawison.