[3] On his travels abroad for business, particularly in Germany, he was struck by the impact of publicly-funded theaters on the communities he visited.

[4] The building was designed by architect William C. Brocklesby of Hartford, Connecticut in the Renaissance Revival style.

[3] Lyman gave the theater to the city as a gift which required a bill to be passed through the state legislature.

[2] The Academy of Music, Inc., is the operating entity for the building, and it is an independent, private, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization governed by a board of trustees.

The other board members are volunteers who have an interest in the performing arts, in the continued vitality of the City of Northampton, or who have special expertise related to the Academy’s operations.