The “First Look” Open House Celebration Coming This Sunday at the Fayetteville Community Center
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The new Fayetteville Community Center. -
Project Manager Wesley Russell, with Gaeke Construction, applies hardware to the entry doors, custom built by Hoelscher Weatherstrip & Doors of Houston to the same design and dimensions of the original doors. The Hoelscher family has had roots in Fayette County for over 100 years and took great care in creating doors that honored the original designs while adhering to today’s safety and environmental standards. -
F&R Wood Floors of Brenham installed, sanded and stained the reclaimed wood saved from the original E.J. Knesek floors. The columns on the first floor, shown here before being painted white, were also saved and reused. -
Fayetteville’s premier cabinet maker, Eugene Michalsky, built the cabinets for the Center’s Community Room. The counter area in the Community Room will also double as the bar for events in the Grand Room and eventually for the theater lobby.
The public is invited to attend the “First Look” Celebration, an open house for the Fayetteville Community Center on Fayetteville’s Town Square. The opening is from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, September 21, 2025. There will be refreshments, activities for the kids and a chance to view the inside of the rebuilt E.J. Knesek Building. All are welcome.
The Origins of the Project
The project began in 2019 when a group of citizens met in Fayetteville and asked the questions “What does Fayetteville need? What would enhance Fayetteville?” The small town, whose population hovers around 250 people, has been known as a place for the arts and for celebrating its cultural history. At the time it was home to the Fayetteville Chamber Music Festival. It was and is home to Arts for Rural Texas, a leader in providing summer and after school programs for children. The town’s ArtWalk and local galleries have brought fine art to the Square on a regular basis. Area musicians have gathered on the Square for Pick’n Park on selected weekends. The Square has been a place for musical concerts and at a local bar, Joe’s, the town’s mayor and friends can be heard singing and playing guitar on Friday nights. So, what could a group of citizens add to this mix that would elevate the Fayetteville experience? “The idea the group of ten came up with was a performance theater,” stated Jerry Herring, President of the nonprofit. “A venue that would house drama, musical performances, lectures, movies, presentations… a real place for the performing arts.”
After coming up with the idea, the group sought a location to build such a venue. Having no real budget in mind, the group looked at space next to the City Hall, available lots in town and even empty fields nearby. When the historic E.J. Knesek building became available on the Square, the group had their ideal location. Several benefactors came forward and the building and double lot it sits on were purchased. An architectural design was drawn up that showed how the building could be saved and used as public space with a 150-seat theater attached to the back of the structure. Work began to raise the money needed and the general public responded with significant gifts. Then Covid put a stop to the project’s momentum.
After several years of Covid and recovery from the shutdowns, the project resumed with a very successful Gala in 2022 hosted at Round Top’s Windy Knoll Event Center. The architects finished the drawings, and the engineers added their expertise. This was the moment in the process that it became clear the old E.J. Knesek building had deteriorated beyond saving. Devastated by the setback, a new plan was put forward to dismantle the old building, save as much material as possible, and rebuild the building using the same floor plans as originally drawn. After approval from the City of Fayetteville, the old building was dismantled and now the public can see the refreshed E.J. Knesek building on the exterior, and vibrant public spaces on the interior.
“The “First Look” Celebration is a work in progress,” points out Dr. Crystal Gully, the newly appointed Executive Director. “The second floor of the rebuilt building will not be available immediately to the public as the second form of egress (for fire safety) is part of Phase II. What is available now is the first floor Grand Room, a Community Room and modern restrooms. The Grand Room will eventually serve as the theater lobby when performances are being held.”
Phase II, the 150-seat Theater
Fundraising has begun to build Phase II which will include a 150-seat, state-of-theart theater with banked theater seating and a supporting green room. An elevator will be installed which can take people to the activities and the staff offices on the second floor. Also, a part of Phase II is to finish the second floor of the rebuilt Knesek building where there is an even larger Grand Room that can be used for multi-purpose events, a large Conference Room, and access to an outdoor viewing balcony.
The Project’s Promise
From the beginning, the concept for this project was to build a multi-use center for the greater Fayette County area. The Fayetteville Community Center & Performance Theater, as the project has been called from the start, will host live music and dramatic performances, and with the large rooms of the Community Center, it will be a venue for a wide range of uses including senior activities, family functions, educational programs, civic meetings, business meetings, banquets, and retreats. The design of the theater will feature classic theater seating, a multi-use stage, movie screen, dressing rooms, multiple community rooms, rehearsal areas, a conference room, and a full catering kitchen. The building’s interior was designed to be as user friendly as possible. The entire project will be ADA accessible. With the addition of an elevator (part of Phase II), every room in the building as well as the viewing porch will accommodate wheelchairs.
As a Texas non-profit, the Center will be available as a service to local non-profit organizations, and for competitive fees, open to the general public including individuals, organizations, and corporations for private use. The Community Room, located on the corner of the building where a barber shop once operated, will be open to the public.
Project with Local Involvement The Board of Directors for Fayetteville Community Center Group (FCCG) was very pleased to announce recently that Dr. Crystal Gully was hired as the organizations first Executive Director. “Dr. Gully, after a corporate career involving international deployments, has chosen to lead us from an organization developing a project to one that is managing a civic institution,” stated Fred Roberts, the organization’s Treasurer.
“Hiring an Executive Director also marks the first time in six years that the organization has a paid staff. From the Board of Directors to the Advisory Board and the countless volunteers, all the work to date for the FCCG has been pro bono for the love of the project,” says Board member Joan Herring. “The general population has contributed money, time and physical donations to see the project through. To date, the project has received over 950 individual donations, from $10 to $500,000. The support has been overwhelming.”
Local talent and support can also be seen in the building’s details.
For more information on the Fayetteville Community Center & Performance Theater, go to www.fayettevillecommunitycenter. org or follow on Facebook and Instagram.