In 1886, Greenwich Village’s Webster Hall was built on East Eleventh Street between Third and Fourth Avenues. Designed by renowned architect Charles Rentz, Webster Hall has undergone many renovations that have influenced the changes in the hall’s function. Five fires occurring between 1902 and 1950 nearly caused the downfall of the hall, but each fire prompted a restoration that gave it a new life[1]. Despite the changes, Webster Hall remains to represent the same ideals today as it did 125 years ago. Although most known today for its concerts and nightlife, Webster Hall was once a coveted location for political rallies and radical events, defining itself as the provocative political stage of Greenwich Village.

Aside from the labor movements occurring inside, Webster Hall was also well known for its radical socialist political gatherings, particularly after 1900.[2] During this time, fringe socialist and anti-establishment politics were popular in the Village, developing alongside similar artistic movements, such as the Beats. Webster Hall became a stage for these liberal political movements and offered villagers a platform on which to voice their views with no filter. From its function as a meeting place for radical lectures and meetings to a site for fund-raising events for various revolutionary causes, Webster Hall truly defined itself as a provocative political meeting place during this time of radical political and social advocacy.

Emma Goldman, famous socialist and anarchist, often held meetings at Webster Hall, giving speeches espousing her political and social views. Goldman was a Greenwich Village resident for a short while, but during her stay was able to create an enormous amount of influence in the political sphere. While her lectures in many other locations were often met with dismal or mixed emotions, Greenwich Village embraced Goldman with open arms and supported her ideas in a way that no other location did. After mixed success with lectures outside of New York, Goldman’s lecture on “The Drama of Europe” at Webster Hall on March 5, 1934 drew a crowd of twelve hundred people and raised an unprecedented amount of money. Goldman pledged the money she raised to the Vanguard and Freedom groups, anarchist socialist organizations that Goldman supported. [3] After this lecture, Goldman returned several times to Webster Hall to hold meetings and lectures and to raise awareness and support for her radical anarchist and socialist ideas. The support and enthusiasm that Goldman received at Webster Hall exemplifies the spirit of the hall as a liberal, open-minded entity that acted as an extension of the tolerant political climate of Greenwich Village. While other cities and venues often met Goldman’s ideas with negativity, Greenwich Village embraced the notions of radical change, illustrating the provocative nature of both the Village and Webster Hall.