History

In 1996, George Colligan, President of the Henderson Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce had a vision of a performing arts center in Henderson. In October of 1996, the Henderson Town Board donated the 18.5 acres of land and the abandoned Mark Hopkins Inn to develop this plan.

A little history about this property, Mark Hopkins was born September 1, 1813 in Henderson, NY. He later moved on to become a treasurer of the Central Pacific Railroad from which he would become a millionaire. The local building was named for him in the 1990's and the name was carried over when the property became known as the Henderson Harbor Performing Arts Assn. Inc. The building has since been demolished.

Since its' inception, the organization has striven to provide the community and surrounding areas of the north country with a series of summer concerts, an annual Oktoberfest, and in 2002 the establihment of the Lila Bull Arts Academy. The Syracuse Symphony, the 10th Mtn. Division Band from Ft. Drum, and the George Colligan, Jr. jazz group have presented programs.

Our new building plans were unveiled in 2010 and with strong community support, we move forward hoping to complete the dreams of earlier times. It is our vision to make this dream come true!

A special thank you goes out to all the volunteers that have given so generously of their time and talents as we continue to work toward our goal.