The Rondout Social Maennerchor was formed on February 22, 1868, by a handful of German immigrants who loved choral singing. They were drawn together by their common language, and love for music, singing, and social activities so that their clubhouse, "Washington Hall", became a gathering place for similar organizations up and down the Hudson River.
The building had a few different uses. The downstairs held businesses from clothing to insurance. It was on the corner of Lackawanna and Penn Ave. The theater hosted a variety of shows from art exhibits to theater.
Washington Hall Association and Building
The Washington Hall Association was incorporated by an Act of the General Assembly of the State of Virginia March 22, 1850.
The brick building where Twain spoke still stands as a two-story building with a Chinese restaurant on the lower level. The third floor was a large community room where Twain spoke and it was removed some time later after wind damage.
Twain, of course, was not widely known at the time so he warranted only a squib in the weekly Norwalk Reflector five days later:
Young Men s Hall on the north side of Jefferson Avenue between Bates and Randolph Streets was dedicated November 27 1850 It seated about 500 people and was the wonder and pride of the city for many years.
The history of detroit and michigan or the metropolis illustrated, Silas Farmer, 1889
This was probably too small to be a venue for Twain.