Our Space
The Balch Street Theatre, a historic Akron landmark
FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER TO BALCH STREET THEATRE
Built in 1929, the Akron Jewish Center was designed by the local architectural firm of Fichter & Brooker. In the nearly forty-five years that it was headquartered in this building, the Akron Jewish Center contributed greatly not only to the city’s Jewish community, but also to the citizenry at large through it many varied cultural, educational, social, recreational, and athletic services.
It is rendered in a free Romanesque Revival style with strong Byzantine influences in its detailing. Since the Jewish Center moved out, the building housed a Baptist Church, was used for Head Start programs for Akron Public Schools, and is now the proud home of the Center for Applied Theatre and Active Culture.
Important note: The elevator is currently broken, therefore unfortunately, this space is not ADA-accessible.
