Sattler Theater

The Sattler Theater is an abandoned theater turned church in Buffalo, New York.

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The Sattler Theater, commissioned by John G. Sattler who owned Sattler’s Department Store, opened on the site of the Casino Theatre in 1914. ¹ The 928-seat venue was designed in the Beaux-Arts architectural style by Henry Spann and his brother, William Spann, and completed at the cost of $35,000.

The Sattler became the Broadway Theatre in 1920, ¹ and a Marr & Colton two-manual organ and vaudeville stage was installed shortly after. ² The Basil brothers took over operations and renamed the theater Basil’s Broadway. ^{1 2}

The Broadway was converted for use as Muhammad’s Mosque 23 church in the mid-1960s, with the project receiving acclaim after being visited by Malcolm X and Mohammed Al. ² It then became God’s Holy Temple between 1976 and 1984 and Joy Temple Church from 1987 to 1996. ^{1 2}

In 2008, Western New York Minority Media Professionals purchased the abandoned theater for $40,000 with the intent to remodel the complex for its headquarters. ^{1 2}

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Sources

1. “Sattler Theater – Broadway, Buffalo.” Forgotten Buffalo, 2015, article.
2. “Broadway Theatre.” Cinema Treasures, article.