Located in: Albion, Michigan

For more than 30 years local arts groups had worked to acquire the Bohm Theatre, but facing both acquisition and rehabilitation costs, the project was cost prohibitive. Since the late 1990s, the theatre had struggled financially, changing ownership several times, and with continued deterioration of the building, in November 2008, the theatre ceased operations. In 2010, the property reverted to the County for tax foreclosure.

At that time the Albion Community Foundation and Albion Downtown Development Authority joined forces and formed the Friends of the Bohm Theatre, an advisory committee, to determine how to save this historic landmark and ensure that the Bohm would become the epicenter of downtown Albion once again. By September 2010, it was evident that there was enough community support to restore and revitalize the historic theatre. The Friends of the Bohm Theatre was then incorporated as a Michigan nonprofit corporation to spearhead the project.

Guidance and a Capital Campaign Challenge Grant of $350,000 from the Jeffris Family Foundation made this a successful community project. Restoration began in September 2011, immediately after the Friends of the Bohm Theatre acquired the building from the county tax auction. Throughout the restoration, the Friends partnered with the Albion Community Foundation to provide financial management for the capital campaign and use its 40+ year history and track record to help leverage funds not typically available to start-up organizations.

The Theatre reopened on October 16, 2014. The Bohm received the Governor’s Award for Historic Preservation in 2015.