Historical investigation identifies the Woodward’s first event as December 8-10, 1851, a lecture on electricity by a Dr. Boynton. The Woodward closed in 1920s, the last verified event took place on February 22, 1921, a lecture on new and improved uses of electricity, bringing the Woodward full circle.
Restoration efforts began in the 1970s when the building was first listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Woodward Development Corporation purchased the Woodward building in May of 1998 and the adjacent building for use as the Woodward Annex in March of 2000. After years of progress, what took the project over the finish line was the combined use of federal and state historic preservation tax credits, federal and state new market tax credits, and an incredible generous philanthropic community.
The Grand reopening took place on Feb. 9, 2019 with Grammy-award winning bluegrass singer Kathy Mattea.