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A Brief History of the Harrison Center
- 1903 — The First Presbyterian Congregation, established in 1823, builds its fourth home. This time it is at the corner of Delaware and 16th Streets. President Benjamin Harrison, who is an elder and Sunday school teacher in the church, lives in the neighborhood.
- 1905 — Harrison's widow dedicates a Tiffany-designed stained-glass window to him at the church called "Angel of the Resurrection." It is later found intact in the aging building, restored and moved the Indianapolis Museum of Art, where it remains on display.
- 1970 — Presbyterian Metropolitan Center opens with the combined effort of several area Presbyterian churches to provide social services to the neighborhood, now in a serious state of decline.
- 1999 — Local philanthropist Jeremy Efroymson first visits the building. Years of neglected maintenance due to a lack of funds have taken a toll on the facility.
- 2000 — Efroymson buys the building, stabilizes it, and opens the Harrison Center for the Arts as a for-profit, secular art center. He recruits VSA Arts, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, The Nature Conservancy, Herron School of Art, and a handful of individual artists as tenants.
- 2001 — The first outdoor concert takes place during the Talbot Street Fair. This will become the Independent Music and Art Festival (IMAF). Attendance tops 100, including dogs.
- 2001 — Redeemer purchases the building and inherits four artist tenants and three nonprofit tenants. The Church hires Joanna Taft in November without a title or job description for $10,000 and a bonus of 30 percent of event rentals.
- 2002 — In January, Taft gets the title of director of the Harrison Center. Redeemer begins operating as the Harrison Center.
- 2002 — In February, Harrison Gallery hosts its first show: 'Love in the Time of Football' by Kyle Ragsdale, the gallery's recently hired curator. The new gallery focuses on working with emerging artists has had 110 visitors at the opening.
- 2002 — In May, Redeemer hires Jason Dorsey, a painter, as pastor.
- 2003 — In July, HCA becomes separate 501(c)(3). It separates its budget from Redeemer in November.
- 2003 — In September, Pam Allee joins the staff as arts coordinator/administrative assistant.
- 2003 — 15 studios filled by artists, 6,160 attendees visit during the year.
- 2003 — 2004 – HCA receives its first Arts Council Grant in May. That month, Indianapolis Monthly also calls it a poster child of the city's Cultural Development initiative.
- 2004 — HCA receives first Gates Grant to create Herron High School to grow a new generation of art patrons.
- 2005 — In April, HCA receives NUVO Cultural Vision Award.
- 2005 — In May, HCA receives first Lilly Endowment Grant.
- 2006 — Christel DeHaan decides to only fund "excellence." HCA receives $35,000.
- 2006 — Herron High School opens in the fall in the Harrison Center basement with 100 ninth graders.
- 2007 — In the fall, Herron High School moves into permanent building on 16th Street.
- 2007 — With 21 studios filled by artists, 30,000 people attend HCA events.
- 2008 — Harrison Center crafts Cultural Entrepreneur Initiative to build culture in Indianapolis.
