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A Brief History… The Old City Hall, built in 1899, is one of the oldest public buildings in Solon. Styled in Georgian architecture, it served as a school, library, police and fire station. In addition to its main role as the center of Solon’s government, this building also provided a warm and inviting center for church services, community dances, meeting, graduations, and theater productions. With the opening of the new Solon City Hall on Bainbridge Avenue in 1995, the doors of Old City Hall closed…but not for long. Soon after, a committee was formed to save Old City Hall and to determine its future role in the community. Through research, interviews, and public response, it was determined that an arts center would fulfill a need within the community. On June 11, 1997, the “Old City Hall Committee” voted unanimously to preserve the building and create a multi-purpose community arts center. On June 17, 2002, Solon Center for the Arts – Drake Hall – appropriately named in honor of Senator Grace Drake for her leadership and commitment to the renovation - opened its doors for the first day of classes. Today, the Center has a spacious art gallery, a large art studio that accommodates 4 classes, 5 music studios, a ballet studio, and a 200-seat theater. |
