About the Kenan Center from Kenan Center on Vimeo.
In the summer of 1963, Mr. Kenan instructed his close friend and secretary, Schuyler Beattie, to consult with Dr. Westhafer of the First Presbyterian Church to determine the church’s interest in using the acreage surrounding his home. A study committee suggested several uses for the acreage, including a community center. Mr. Kenan was so pleased with the church’s desire to serve the entire community that he made a gift of $472,000 with the understanding that the congregation would raise an additional $100,000 to erect an all-purpose community facility. Unfortunately, Mr. Kenan died in 1965 and did not live to see the Center become a reality.
Acting on the concern of Mr. Kenan and the church for operating funds to maintain the Center, the trustees of the Kenan estate made an additional gift of $500,000 to be used as a permanent endowment. In 1967, the management and direction of the Kenan Center was turned over to a duly elected and non-denominational Board of Governors.
The original structures on the property–the Kenan mansion and carriage houses–were supplemented by the construction of a recreational arena, completed in 1968, which included a skating rink that operated until 1986. Today, the arena is home to one of the largest indoor youth soccer programs in Western New York, as well as other youth and adult sports programs, the Kenan Wellness Zone, and a multi-use 5,800 square foot “Annex.” It is also the site of many Kenan Center events, such as 100 American Craftsmen, the Niagara Wine & Beer Tasting Fest, the Kenan Quilters’ Guild biennial quilt show, as well as community events and sporting competitions.
Art exhibits became a mainstay of the Kenan Center in 1966 with an initial exhibition of works by Charles Burchfield, an outstanding American colorist. Several rooms of the Kenan mansion, which serve as the Kenan Center House Gallery, provide exhibit space for an average of nine shows each year, featuring local and regional artists, many of whom have gained national and international acclaim for their work.
The campus also includes the 153-seat Taylor Theater, a restored and converted carriage house, which opened in 1969, and the Education Building, formally known as the craft barn, which now serves as the Kenan Center Montesorri Preschool.
