Postcard announcing Chehalem Cultural Center’s grand opening. BLD.2010.23
From Past to Present to Future
Since the beginning, the Chehalem Cultural Center
has been made possible by the hard work and contributions of countless members of
our community.
Originally built in 1935 as a WPA project, this Cultural Center began life as Central School, an elementary school serving Newberg. The brick building replaced the original wooden school, built in the early 1900s. No longer meeting safety and size standards, the school was closed in 1995, replaced by Antonia Crater Elementary and Chehalem Valley Middle Schools. The building sat vacant until 1997, when it was sold by the Newberg School District to Chehalem Parks and Rec for one dollar so that the building could remain part of the community and in the public domain.
A committee was formed to determine the building’s future: a community cultural center. Fundraising began. Bond measures were unsuccessful, but state and federal grants helped to fund structural upgrades. Donations from charitable foundations and local citizens also helped pay for updates and renovations.
Finally, after sitting empty for 15 years, the building was ready to become the Chehalem Cultural Center. Ground was broken in 2009, and the first set of updates and renovations was completed in February 2010. The building needed complete seismic upgrades, as well as updated HVAC and plumbing systems. However, the builders, architects, and designers preserved as many elements as they could, including the concrete floor and exposed wooden beams.
The first completed phase of the building was revealed to the public on March 27, 2010: art galleries, classrooms, glass and ceramics studios, ad meeting and office space. Subsequent years have seen the completion of Phase Two: the ballroom, black box theater, and culinary center.
Currently, the Center looks forward to Phase Three: renovating the upstairs to include a theatre, movement studio, and 250-seat theatre.
The Center wouldn’t be here without the support, hard work, and love of the community. We are glad to be able to serve Newberg and Yamhill County, and are thrilled to see you walk through our doors.
Browse through our history, and feel free to stop and share a story about the Center or Central School.
Download the 2010 Newberg Graphic special edition about our grand opening (opens .pdf)
Board members at the ground breaking ceremony in 2009. BLD.2009.1
Building under construction. BLD.2009.9
Halloween and holiday parties in the unfinished building, 2009.
The building’s grand opening, March 27, 2010.
Enjoy a look back at some of the exhibitions the Cultural Center has hosted:
