bar. According to building code, a bar could not operate on the same property as any building with stage facilities and over 300 seats. The owners appealed, and the Brooklyn buildings deputy commissioner indicated that he would approve the plans if the bar and some disallowed decorations were removed. In July 1901, the commissioner voted with the Board of Buildings to reverse his initial decision and approve the new plans. The rebuilt Prospect Hall opened on February 2, 1903, and was also managed by John Kolle's son, William. Shortly after the hall's reopening, the building nearly caught fire again. A fire started in the Kolle family's adjacent home, nearly killing one of his daughters. Worried it would spread to the hall, the fire department sent an extra fire engine to help control it. While they successfully prevented damage to the hall, the house was destroyed. Firefighters had difficulty getting a sufficient stream of water due to a large eel which made its way into a fire hose, clogging it. In its early years, according to the New York Times''' Christopher Gray, spaces like Prospect Hall "sounded the heartbeat of the city" by hosting a variety of public and private events. It hosted political events like a rally held by William Randolph Hearst in 1906, a debate in 1907, an event featuring William Jennings Bryan in 1908, and a gathering in support of local subway service which drew 3,500 people. Many international celebrities held performances there, like opera star Enrico Caruso, Lena Horne, Ginger Rogers, Fred Astaire, and others. In 1911, singer and comedian Sophie Tucker performed. Al Capone was known to have a box at the hall. The venue also hosted meetings for politicians and club leaders, with certain nights devoted to annual balls in honor of several leaders. Organizations such as the Brooklyn Quartet Club and Brooklyn Rifle Club were also housed in the building. To the west of the main building, the Hour Motion Picture Theatre opened in 1910. The space to the east was converted into a Venetian garden in 1913 and was used for movie screenings. According to the New Yorker, it became one of the first film production lots in the world after one of John Kolle's sons, Herman Kolle, founded the Crescent Film Company with Fred J. Balshofer and began making movies for nickelodeons. Old advertisements for Prospect Hall described the "high-class motion pictures