Niagara Arts and Cultural Center

Niagara Falls High School closed in 2000 after it merged with another local high school and relocated. The 180,000 square foot building was slated for demolition and a shopping plaza was to be erected in its place. 

That is, until “a group of dedicated individuals […] joined together to save” the historic building located on Pine Avenue in Niagara Falls, NY. They voiced their opposition to the wrecking ball, which would have demolished over 75 years of history. 

Built in 1923, the flagship high school was “a showpiece in a show city.” In the early years of electrification and industrialization, increasing numbers of immigrants and tourists came to Niagara Falls. When businesspeople, celebrities, political leaders, royalty, and other visitors toured Niagara Falls, the Neoclassical-style building exemplified the city’s architecture and growing prosperity. 

Immigrant families sent their children to the school, which was located in the flourishing Little Italy neighborhood. In all, five generations of students graduated from Niagara Falls High School. At the dawn of the new millennium, several of these former students rose up to help save their beloved high school from demolition.

Initially, there was much controversy and public debate between private citizens and local officials regarding the building’s fate. The community grassroots effort ultimately  prevailed. In 2001, the building was transformed into the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center, or NACC, and, in 2002, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

The NACC’s mission is to “[p]rotect the historic building, preserve cultural heritage, and promote visual and performing arts experiences to [the local] community and visitors to the region.” 

To these ends, the classrooms were converted into artists’ studios and the cafeteria and two other spaces were turned into public art galleries. The 8,000 square foot gymnasium was certified as a sound stage for film and television development, paving the way for the NACC to become “a desired destination in the movie industry.” The  library and 900-seat auditorium were converted into theaters. Outside, the balustrade main staircase became a stage for summertime jazz concerts. 

“The NACC offers a place where diverse groups, who represent a wide range of ages, racial and ethnic groups,” and income levels “come together to explore the diversity of the arts and their people.” Its many offerings include African American arts and music; Native American arts and music; opera and theatre performances; gallery exhibits; art workshops, regional history lectures, architectural tours, and much more.

Fittingly, the NACC is home to the Niagara Falls High School Alumni Center, which “displays a collection of memorabilia dating back to the school’s earliest days.” The NACC is the largest multi-arts center in upstate New York.

Hope L. Russell, Ph.D.