Of the three theatres which existed in Riverhead, New York, in the latter part of the nineteenth century, only one- Music Hall -has come down to us. Miraculously escaping the wrecker's ball due largely to its upstairs location over two lucrative storefronts, Music Hall has survived not only all its contemporaries, but also a palatial "modern" theatre built around the corner in 1920 and razed in the early '60s.
    Located on what today is known as Peconic Avenue, but then was called Bridge Street, Music Hall was the talk of the town when David F. Vail, a venture-some local lumber dealer built it with the help of his son, George M. Vail. Music Hall was but one of the Vails' ambitious undertakings, the other being the purchase from the U. S. Government of the decommissioned sail-powered battleship Ohio. Displaying their flair for showmanship, the Vails planned to exhibit the Ohio as long as the public showed interest in the old hulk-and then to scrap it for its usable parts. Unfortunately, this plan came to naught. Towed to Greenport harbor, the tired old Ohio sank to the bottom before many visitors could catch a glimpse of it. It remains there to this day.