The Ellis brings new life to former Newburgh church

A former church that sat abandoned for more than two decades has found new life as a vibrant event space, with its owners saying The Ellis has exceeded expectations during its first year of operation.

The building at 60 Dubois St. was originally constructed in the 1890s as a church for a Presbyterian congregation. An addition was built in 1904, and the church remained in use for decades before eventually being abandoned in the early 2000s.

Albert Mizrahi and Mike Mamiye purchased the building in 2022 and began restoring it with the goal of creating a space for art, music and other cultural events. The Ellis opened in September 2025.

For Mizrahi, the idea grew out of a visit to Newburgh several years ago. After having dinner in the city, he said he found there was little to do afterward despite the abundance of creative talent in the community.

“With such a vibrant city, with such amazing people, whether it’s visual artists, performance artists, entrepreneurial artists, a lot of creative people but there is no space where there’s somewhere to like display or perform,” Mizrahi said.

Mizrahi has a background in music and initially envisioned creating a music venue. Mamiye, meanwhile, has been involved in Newburgh’s visual arts community.

“He’s a little bit more on the visual side…and I was more on the performance aspect,” Mizrahi said.

The two approached the building’s previous owner in 2021 and closed on the property the following year.

They chose to open The Ellis on Sept. 27, 2025, during Newburgh Open Studios. Mizrahi said the timing was intentional because the event traditionally focuses heavily on visual art, while The Ellis could provide a venue for performance.
“We wanted to bring that performance level of artistic display…we found that Open Studios was generally about a lot of visual art, but nothing in performance,” he said.

Since opening, Mizrahi said, the response has been stronger than he anticipated.

“They don’t want to leave the room. I had assumed that we would be a spot that doesn’t stay til 2 or 3 or sometimes 4 a.m.,” he said.

The Ellis has attracted visitors not only from Newburgh but from throughout the Hudson Valley, he said.

“It’s getting people in Newburgh out, and not even just Newburgh but the Hudson Valley,” Mizrahi said.

A major part of The Ellis’ identity is its variety of programming. The space has hosted dance parties, music, comedy and other events, reflecting what Mizrahi sees as the diversity and creativity of Newburgh itself.

“We had spent a lot of time in Newburgh already, and we had kept seeing the diversity…The Ellis isn’t necessarily one thing, we always use this sense of calling it a reflection of who you are,” he said.

The owners are continuing to work on the building, with plans to expand the usable event space beyond the portion of the 1904 addition currently open to the public. They hope eventually to incorporate portions of the original 1890s church building as well as the backyard.

Plans also call for a cafe inside the building in collaboration with Arios Coffeehaus, a coffee shop currently located in Port Ewen.

The owners also hope to expand The Ellis beyond its current event-based schedule and make the space more accessible during the week.

“The local community has just been so supportive…we’re just excited to keep growing it and expanding from being just open on an event basis to opening it up during the week,” Mizrahi said.

The Ellis is marking its first anniversary with a three-day event Sept. 25-27 featuring Moon, Serpent & Bone.

The event, titled “HERETIC: Gathering of Ritual, Ruin & Reverie,” is billed as an immersive gathering focused on ritual arts, folk magic, gothic culture, dark performance and alternative arts. Organizers say the event will bring together artists, performers, makers, practitioners, educators and others.

The anniversary event will run from 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, through 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, at The Ellis, 60 Dubois St.

More information about The Ellis and upcoming events is available at theellisnewburgh.com.