Local nonprofit fundraising for community event center

Now in its 30th year, Friends of Historic Breckenridge is continuing its efforts to renovate and revitalize downtown and is seeking support to help create a community event center.

FOHB purchased the building adjacent to the National Theatre and established a goal of enlarging the current reception area to be rented for community events through their campaign ‘Be a Star…the Encore.’

“We already have a small reception area next door that we had acquired back several years ago. (We took) that building over, put a hole in the wall and joined everything so that we had better bathroom facilities and we had some space for some receptions, but it’s very small,” FOHB Board Member Hub Thompson said.

Thompson said the organization purchased the building and began fundraising to rehabilitate it with the goal of opening it up between the present reception hall and the new building creating a larger meeting area.

“We have very limited places like that presently in Breckenridge,” Thompson said. “We’re trying to provide the community with something that we see looks like a need there, that people could utilize this for either weddings, receptions, other gatherings (or) family reunions.”

The building has been gutted and the facade was renovated with a matching grant from the Breckenridge Economic Development Corporation. The next step is to raise funds for the roof, heating and air conditioning, electrical and plumbing and interior renovation.

“It’s an effort to try to ensure we have a vibrant downtown and for those that come in to see the historical aspect but also realize that the town has some vibrancy and is taking care of itself,” Thompson said.

Tax deductible contributions can be mailed to the nonprofit organization at P.O. Box 1721 Breckenridge, TX 76424. 

FOHB was organized in 1995 with a goal of revitalizing and renovating the downtown district of Breckenridge, with the main project being the restoration of the over 100 year old National Theatre complex.

After burning down in 1921, the restored National Theatre was opened May 20, 1921 at a cost of $100,000. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the theatre became vacant and the roof collapsed.

After the historic main street designation, the theatre was donated to FOHB by Joe Rex Brown and Charles Kuhn and the organization began establishing committees and raising public support to restore the location.

Thompson said the location is a cultural outlet for the community that each year hosts multiple events.

“There’s a variety of things that the group tries to provide the community and we hope everybody sees some benefit to this (campaign),” he said.