Located within the West Washington National Historic Register District, the Center was built in 1925 as the Children’s Dispensary, where free and reduced medical care was available to families without financial resources. In the 1960’s the dispensary was renamed the Hansel Center and acted as one of the first community centers in the area. Throughout the past century this building has served many purposes, from being a gymnasium to housing the offices for the Head Start Preschool program. After 2003 the building was vacant until a group of partners including the University of Notre Dame and the South Bend Heritage Foundation created a $2.5 million dollar renovation in 2012.
In March of 2013, the doors for the newly christened Notre Dame Center for Arts and Culture were opened, and the building has been busy ever since. The Center is home to the Crossroads Gallery for Contemporary Art, Segura Arts Studio, and the Notre Dame Office of Community Relations. The NDCAC also offers an array of educational programs for the community in partnership with the University’s Robinson Community Learning Center.
There is never a dull moment at the Notre Dame Center for Arts and Culture, and it is a building full of history that continues to change lives and make a difference in the neighborhood. This cache was designed to show even more people this historic neighborhood and its wonderful buildings.