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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
The Arts Centre was a nonprofit organization in Martinsburg that focused on educational opportunities in the arts for children and adults.
Until 2001, the organization was called the Boarman Arts Center because of its location in the Admiral Boarman House. The Martinsburg home, built in 1802, was sold in 1832 to Charles Boarman, a commodore in the U.S. Navy, who lived there with his family for more than 40 years.
The arts organization changed its name to The Arts Centre in 2001 after purchasing the old federal building at 300 King Street. The federal building was home to the Post Office, the Internal Revenue Service and the federal court from 1895 until 1962. In 1963, the Federal Aviation Administration acquired the building and used it until 1999 as the command and control center for the Eastern Seaboard. The Arts Centre moved to the new building in 2006. The organization offered classes for children and adults as well as special programs and exhibits. It also hosted the West Virginia Wine and Arts Festival, which was held every year on Memorial Day weekend.
The organization experienced financial hardships including a 2010 embezzlement scandal, and the building sustained damage from a 2010 earthquake, water leaks, and the 2012 derecho. The organization is no longer active, and in 2020 the building was sold in an online auction by the General Services Administration.
Written by Lakin Ray Cook