Henegar Center on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Henegar Center is a historic
The two remaining structures are some of the oldest standing public buildings in Brevard County. The Melbourne School Complex has housed many things prior to becoming the community cultural center that it is today. In the late 60’s both outer buildings were closed as instructional buildings and the west building (Trinity Towers South now occupies this land) housed Brevard Junior College (now Eastern Florida State College). The center building (Henegar Center) was used by the school board and other county offices. In 1980 the West building was demolished to make room for Trinity Towers South, in 1983 a small group of local residents acted and formed a non-profit corporation- the Brevard Regional Arts Group (BRAG) and went to work to restore the two remaining buildings. In 1984 The North Building Cultural Center was granted a forty- year renewable lease and BRAG was deeded the buildings by the Brevard County School System. BRAG mobilized the community and was able to raise $2.5 million in cash and contributed services and began the task of restoring the main building.
The Henegar Center for the Performing Arts
(official website) Buildings and structures in Melbourne, Florida Music venues in Florida Performing arts centers in Florida Tourist attractions in Brevard County, Florida
U.S.
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
building located at 625 East New Haven Avenue, Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
, Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. Built in 1919, it is one of Brevard County
Brevard County ( ) is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county seat is located in ...
’s oldest public buildings. On March 12, 1963, the building received its name in honor of Ruth Henegar, a long-time teacher and principal at the school that used the building at the time.Melbourne Chamber of Commerce. ''Melbourne: A Century of Memories'' (Melbourne, FL: National Printing, Inc., 1980), p. 53. The building now serves as The Henegar Center for the Arts.
The Henegar Center for the Arts
High school
The school building was designed by W.M. Christen. Construction began in 1919 and in the fall of 1920 the building opened. It was soon to become the first of three structures to stand on the site. The first high school class, consisting of only 13 students graduated in 1921. At its highest the enrollment reached 1400. In 1963 the school was named for former Principal Ruth Henegar (1950–1951). In 1975 enrollment reached an all-time low of 331 students and the decision to close the school was made. On June 11, 1975 after 55 years the doors of the Ruth Henegar Elementary School closed.Transition to arts
The two remaining structures are some of the oldest standing public buildings in Brevard County. The Melbourne School Complex has housed many things prior to becoming the community cultural center that it is today. In the late 60’s both outer buildings were closed as instructional buildings and the west building (Trinity Towers South now occupies this land) housed Brevard Junior College (now Eastern Florida State College). The center building (Henegar Center) was used by the school board and other county offices. In 1980 the West building was demolished to make room for Trinity Towers South, in 1983 a small group of local residents acted and formed a non-profit corporation- the Brevard Regional Arts Group (BRAG) and went to work to restore the two remaining buildings. In 1984 The North Building Cultural Center was granted a forty- year renewable lease and BRAG was deeded the buildings by the Brevard County School System. BRAG mobilized the community and was able to raise $2.5 million in cash and contributed services and began the task of restoring the main building.
Main Stage
In 1991, the Henegar Center for the Arts opened its doors with a 475-seat proscenium style theater designed by Peter Feller. This theater is called the Main Stage. The curtain was from the Broadway Musical The King and I. State-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment was installed in order to present the highest quality productions. The main building contains the main ballroom, reception room, courtyard garden room, a mirrored dance studio and two additional meeting spaces. The public spaces contain rotating exhibitions of work by local artists.Upstairs at the Henegar
Ablack box
In science, computing, and engineering, a black box is a system which can be viewed in terms of its inputs and outputs (or transfer characteristics), without any knowledge of its internal workings. Its implementation is "opaque" (black). The te ...
style theater called Upstairs at the Henegar was added in 2014. This theater is on the second floor and seats 85 people.
Notes
External links
{{Commons category, Henegar Center (Melbourne, Florida), Henegar CenterThe Henegar Center for the Performing Arts
(official website) Buildings and structures in Melbourne, Florida Music venues in Florida Performing arts centers in Florida Tourist attractions in Brevard County, Florida