Gatehouse Committee

The Gatehouse Committee meets the first Sunday of every month. 

To appreciate the importance of the Gatehouse Committee, a brief history of the building is needed. In the early 1900's, many wealthy people saw Woodbury as a desirable location to build a vacation estate. Among the rich and famous who settled here was F.F. Proctor who earned the title of the “Dean of Vaudeville” and who devoted more than 50 years to the theatrical world. At the time of his death, Proctor owned approximately 53 theatres along the east coast. In 1912, Proctor built his estate, Proctoria, on 1142 acres of land in Central Valley. He constructed five large homes, various barns, and “The Gatehouse” which marked the impressive entrance to the estate. Following Proctor's death in 1929, the estate was put up for sale, finally being acquired by the United States Military Academy (West Point). All the buildings, except the Gatehouse and small Carriage House directly behind, were destroyed so the lands could be used for military and parachute maneuvers.

In 1973, the U.S. Government deeded the Gatehouse to the Town of Woodbury to be used for youth activities. Until the 1990's, the Parks Commission used the Gatehouse for small group activities and the Boy Scouts used The Carriage House. However, budget restraints made it impossible for the Parks Commission to make major renovations to the building and the fate of The Gatehouse was unclear.

In 1996, the Woodbury Town Board crafted an agreement by which the complex would be renovated by using only private funds. The Woodbury Historical Society, which was in need of additional space, and the Boy Scouts, who needed meeting rooms, worked jointly to achieve this goal. WHS will use The Gatehouse for a museum and for special children's projects. The Boy Scouts will use The Carriage House for their troop meetings.