History:

Two local businessmen, newspaper owner James Masten and miller William Acheson, partnered to build the Music Hall in 1874. Nichols and Halcott of nearby Albany designed and built it for a cost of $60,000. It opened with a performance of Dion Boucicault'sLondon Assurance.

They leased the space on the ground floors to stores and other businesses to provide extra income, starting with the local post office. Two years later the city's library rented some space on the second story. In 1878 Masten sold his interest to Mary Acheson for 25 cents, because he felt the local market was oversaturated. Performers who played the building over the years included Sarah Bernhardt, Buffalo Bill Cody, George M. Cohan,Jimmy Durante, Lillian Russell, John Philip Sousa, Tom Thumb and then-Cohoes nativeEva Tanguay (supposedly booed on her first appearance).

In 1880 the First National Bank moved into the first floor. By 1905 it had taken over ownership of the building, putting its name on the entablature at the roofline. They closed the theater after discovering one of the roof trusses was sagging.

By the middle of the 20th century, as the city declined along with its textile industries and the Erie Canal, the Music Hall had begun to deteriorate and fall into disuse. It became city property for one dollar in 1969,and was in danger of being demolished just before it was added to the Register. An extensive restoration allowed to reopen a year after its centenary, with another production of London Assurance.

The street-level offices also serve as the city's visitor center, with displays on the history of the textile industry in the city and information about historic sites and other local attractions.