The 3rd Falls Village Methodist Church was built in 1901 to replace the 2nd Methodist Church, which was burned in the disastrous fire of 1899 that destroyed much of the center of the village. It ended the twentieth century as the R&D Emerson Rare and Used Books store and greeted the new millennium empty and largely ignored. In autumn of 2006, a new non-profit , the Falls Village Children’s Theater Group, began negotiations to purchase the building as a rehearsal space and headquarters.
The board of the theater group revisited the Town Plan, adopted in 2002, and came to the conclusion that the old church might be the first step in addressing some fundamental goals articulated in the plan:
“Enhance The Village As A Focal Point. One of the strategies of the Plan is to reinforce the Center’s role as the community focal point, create a destination for residents and visitors, and provide an important foundation for community character and spirit. This will also provide important benefits in terms of economic development.”
“Attract New Businesses/Activities. Attracting more uses and activities to the downtown area will have the greatest impact on the vitality and success of the village. Efforts should focus at the corner of Main Street and Railroad Street and work out from there. Appropriate use of historic structures in this area should be the centerpiece of these efforts.”
Located, as it is, at the heart of the village within easy walking distance from the school, the library, the Town Hall, and the few downtown businesses, the Emerson Building, as it was called, emerged as structure uniquely qualified as a gathering place for area residence and a venue for various performances and presentations. Thus was the idea for the Falls Village Community and Cultural Center formed.
The board of selectman approved the plan unanimously. The town of Canaan, at town meetings for the allocation of $25,000 of town funds toward the building’s purchase and for an easement for the installation of an engineered septic on town land, has proven to support the idea overwhelmingly.
In order to achieve its potential, the building needs extensive renovation. The building must retain its historic integrity and become a flexible space for meetings, performances, and gatherings. Although structurally sound, it needs extensive repairs and renovations.
The Falls Village Children’s Theater Company envisions the Falls Village Community and Cultural Center as a place for members of the community to meet, to socialize, and to serve; as a venue for the dissemination of the arts and of ideas; a gathering place for celebrations; and a rehearsal space for the Children’s Theater’s productions and workshops. Its status as an historic structure in the Falls Village District of the National Registry of Historic Places and as a local venue for the arts makes it an excellent addition to the National Heritage designation of the Upper Housatonic Valley. It is to be a “focal point” of the town, a resource for the education, entertainment, and interaction of this small and unique community.
