The National Register-listed building, constructed in 1907 for the Moores Hill Male and Female Collegiate Institute, received a contribution from Andrew Carnegie, hence the name. Carnegie Hall stands alone to represent the presence of the college, which moved in 1917 to Evansville and is now known as the University of Evansville.

Preservation and reuse have long been a part of Carnegie Hall’s history. After the college closed, the building became the decades-long home of Moores Hill’s public school, grade school through high school. The older students left upon the construction of a new high school in the 1970s, but the younger set remained until the 1980s, when they too left for a new building.

The threat of demolition sparked the creation of the Carnegie Historic Landmarks Preservation Society, which succeeded in saving the landmark has been making incremental progress in its rehabilitation ever since. In addition to housing a museum documenting the school and community heritage, complete with research resources for genealogy purposes, the building hosts community events — holiday meals, concerts, bingo nights, a tea room, and even yoga and martial arts classes. The impressive auditorium, gorgeous with exposed beams, attracts rental uses.

The current phase of work includes sanding and painting the second-floor woodwork and repairing the unusual antique swinging door mechanisms. The project means that all three floors of Carnegie Hall have rental space available. The preservation society welcomes other uses – artist studios, professional offices, more instructional tenants to complement the yoga classes.

Visit www.thecarnegiehall.org for more information on the site and how you can get involved. Or contact our Southeast Field Office Director, Jarrad Holbrook, jholbrook@indianalandmarks.org.