The Facility
Situated in Harvard Square, JMBT's
home is one of the
most beautiful dance facilities
in the country.
The building is an outstanding
example of the American Gothic Revival style of architecture. Designed
by noted Boston architect Alexander R. Esty and erected between 1867
and 1870, the facility boasts soaring 60-foot ceilings, an important
collection of 19th and 20th century stained glass, and expansive interior
spaces.
Built of local fieldstone and granite quarried in Somerville, Massachusetts,
the building is a notable example of the muscular use of stone, typical
of American Gothic Revival architecture. This solidity, coupled with
Esty’s display of structural strength in the asymmetrical massing
of forms, is further accentuated by the contrast between heavy gray stone
and large, graceful, delicate stained glass windows, which the stone
walls simultaneously reveal and protect.
José Mateo Ballet Theatre moved into this National Historic
Landmark in July 2000 and began a three-phase Renovation Project to
create a world-class dance facility.
In February 2008, José Mateo Ballet Theatre received a significant grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund which is designed to support non-profit cultural organizations with building projects that increase tourism, create new jobs, and expand arts and cultural activities throughout the state. José Mateo Ballet Theatre will use the grant to make improvements to its facility at Old Cambridge Baptist Church in Harvard Square, home of its school and performance space, The Sanctuary Theatre, to enhance access and benefit the community it serves.
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