The Historic Crawford School, which opened in 1911, now houses Arts!Oglethorpe, the county’s community theater group.
The organization has owned and used the building as a rehearsal space, storage and theater since 2011, thanks to support from donors.
“I love the fact that we’re able to just revitalize this building,” said Penny Miller, director of “Little Shop of Horrors,” this summer’s musical. “It is an amazing building and I love history, so I love the idea of being able to take this building and bring it back.”
The interior of the building has been redone, which included the replacement and installation of 68 windows, bathrooms, staircases and replica doors.
The upstairs, which used to be the gym and auditorium, is being used for storage. The group hopes to renovate the space into a performance area, but for now, will have to wait because there’s no wheelchair accessibility.
The first two classrooms were converted into a stage, with an area for an audience and a tech booth.
“Our stage is actually the floor from the UGA basketball court,” said Bly Hartley, assistant director for this summer’s musical. “It came to us and it is our stage. It is what it is, and it works just fine. Periodically, you see little bits of red.”
Another room was converted into a set shop, where the group can create and build props. The last classroom was converted into the backstage, where actors can store costumes and get ready to perform.
The school was built by Jack Stockley, after the City of Crawford raised a bond of $4,500. The school, which was open until 1955, included four classrooms and an auditorium, which also functioned as a gym.
Students were required to pay $1 when they joined the school, while students outside the district had to pay $2 a month, according to Arts!Oglethorpe’s website (artsoglethorpe.com). The money went toward the janitor and fuel.
After the school closed, the building was home to “a nursing home, sewing plant, insulation plant, preschool and a manufacturing facility for decorative garden edgings,” the website states.