The Space
Space is essential for the arts
– to create, rehearse, collaborate, teach, perform, and exhibit.
This historic building offers approximately 8,000 square feet, including a spacious ground floor theater and concert hall with a large, raked stage. Portable seating will allow the main floor to remain open for dances, craft fairs, and other large community gatherings. The front room may hold a small artisan shop and information desk, and two bathrooms are also located on the ground floor. Up one flight of stairs, an open balcony overlooks the theater. Another flight of stairs leads to a vast upper floor with high ceilings and abundant natural light containing six rooms, which while unfinished may easily be visualized in the present configuration as an office, a large exhibition gallery, a spacious dance studio or workshop, a good-sized classroom, a private studio space, and a central restroom.
The Work
We are just getting started – but the potential is unlimited.
While the building has suffered many years of disuse, recent restoration efforts have rebuilt its foundation, replaced the roof, painted the exterior, installed new bathrooms and electrical service, and cleared out most of the old plaster and debris from the interior.
Much work remains to be done, including shoring up the foundation, insulating the building, refinishing the entire interior, and likely replacing the well pump and septic system. The windows, doors, stairs and exterior finishings will also need to be updated with attention to safety and accessibility.
This will be a long-term project requiring sustained and determined effort, community support, dedicated volunteers, and a combination of private donations, sponsorship, and public funding to restore the building to its original simple grandeur.
We feel that returning this historic building to public use as a theater, art center, and meeting place will play a pivotal role in advancing local revitalization efforts.
