The York Graded School, now known as the McCelvey Center, was expanded in 1922 and served as a school for the people of York into the 1980s. Under the stewardship of Culture & Heritage Museums (CHM), the former school building is used to store CHM collections of material culture from the Carolina Piedmont with the auditorium serving as a performing arts venue. Today, the preservation team of the CHM is working to preserve the auditorium.
CHM’s staff observed movement in the roof framing over the auditorium in April 2021. Structural engineers with extensive preservation experience developed a plan to structurally repair and reinforce the roof framing over the auditorium. This involved lifting the broken truss over the stage approximately 7 inches, strengthening all five trusses, and pulling back in masonry walls that had been pushed out due to the failing truss. The structural work was completed in Fall, 2025.
Thankfully, the auditorium is now structurally sound again and safe for visitors. However, some additional work must occur before McCelvey Center is ready to reopen. New stage curtains were installed in June, 2026. We must also replace the dated HVAC system in the auditorium and upgrade the fire alarm system and emergency lighting throughout the building to comply with current fire safety code. As of July, 2026, these upgrades are being designed by an engineering firm. The McCelvey Center will remain closed to the public during construction.
To see the latest on this project, follow us on Facebook.