2025-2026 Award of Stewardship
Thomasville Center for the Arts
Built in 1915, the former East Side School was Thomasville’s first public school and remains a prominent city landmark. For 60 years the site served as an elementary school with generations of Thomasville residents passing through its hallways. With its closure in 1975, the building experienced a period of vacancy, falling into disrepair. Yet the community refused to let such an important piece of its heritage fade away.
In the mid-1980s, the building was transformed into the Thomasville Cultural Center and was later reimagined as the Thomasville Center for the Arts.
Over the past 3 years, the Center has completed wide ranging repairs that have significantly strengthened the safety, functionality, and long-term preservation of the historic facility. These improvements – plumbing, installation of new HVAC, renovation of interior studios and galleries, and restoration of the building’s board room – have contributed to smoother daily operations and an enhanced experience for staff, artists, and visitors.
General building repairs included restoring and repainting the second floor ceiling, damaged by a leaking roof and the replacement of the building’s soffits and exterior trim. Windows throughout the facility were reglazed to improve energy efficiency and to preserve the building envelope. Collectively, these improvements reflect a dedicated commitment to maintaining the Center as a safe, functional, and inspiring environment for the community.
