Loew's Pitkin Theatre, 1929. Thomas Lamb knew how to build a glamorous theatre. The Scottish-born architect became the go-to designer in the early 20th century for the Loew’s, Fox, and RKO chains. The Pitkin Theatre was completed in 1929 with an “atmospheric” design. The interiors were meant to transport patrons to another world. While the facade was a lovely mix of Art Deco, Mayan, and Art Nouveau touches, inside the auditorium was “a vast garden under blue sky, enclosed by high sculptured walls, surmounted by carved towers and balconies.” A popular venue for the Jewish immigrant population of Brownsville, the theatre's audiences diminished with the changing demographics in the mid century. The movie house closed in 1969. Like so many other old theatres in New York City, the Pitkin became home to a church. Later it housed a furniture store and warehouse, before finally standing vacant for nearly 40 years. In 2008 the full-block structure was purchased. With a massive renovation and restoration between 2010 and 2012, the new owners converted the ground-level into retail spaces and the rest into a charter school.