History of the Depot and Mooresville Arts

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1850: The first Depot is built by John F. Moore to create a stop on the new Atlantic, Tennessee & Ohio railroad. The original Depot stood in the same spot as the current Depot. 

1865:  The railroad tracks were taken up to be used in keeping the Wilmington line open. 

1873: March 3 the Town of Mooresville is incorporated with a total population of 25 people. The Depot is set as the center of Town and the town limits were laid off in a mile radius from the Depot. 

1880: The AT& O railroad becomes Southern Railways and the railroad is run through Mooresville again. The old Depot is torn down with a new put in its place. The dirt from Main Street and Board Street is used to create the new bed and the two streets are raised or lowered in accordance.  

1883-1974: The Depot was owned by the railroad company, which started as the South Carolina Cana and Rail Road Company (SCCRRC). 

1925: A fire breaks out in the front passenger section of the Depot. The front section of the building burns before the fire is put out. The front half is rebuilt to be fireproof using cement and bricks. It is also lowered and narrowed to allow for the addition of additional railroad lines. The original warehouse building behind the Depot is torn down and the back half of the Depot becomes the warehouse. The new building is the third Depot. 

1955: Six local artists gathered in the War Memorial basement to plan and exchange ideas. The group grew from there, and on November 17, 1966, the group expanded to 20 artists and became known as the "Mooresville Artist Guild".

1974: On May 6, Southern Railway Systems (which would become Norfolk in the 1990s) offered to donate the depot building and lease the property immediately adjacent (the land it sits on) to the Town of Mooresville for $1.00 per year.

1975:  Southern Railroad stops using the Depot building and leases it to the Town on a 15-year lease.  

1978: The Mooresville Artist Guild is adopted by the Town and allowed to lease the vacant Depot building for its new home. 

1982:  The Mooresville Artist Guild receives tax-exempt status making it a non-profit organization. 

1984: Consideration was made at a request from the Mooresville Artist's Guild to include a Historical Museum in the warehouse section of the Depot. 

1985: The Mayor was authorized to execute an agreement with Southern Railways for a 25-year lease on the Depot. 

1995: The Depot is no longer the exact center of Town. 

Early 2000s: The Depot building is sold to the Town of Mooresville by Norfolk Southern. 

2010: The Depot received Historic Building designation. 

2014: Mooresville Artist Guild changed its name to "Mooresville Arts" and incorporated all visual arts by offering free exhibits, art classes for adult and kids, and summer camps. In addition, the TV series Banshee begins filming in and around the Depot with some additions to the building. This is the first of many films, commercials, and shows that are filmed in Mooresville using the Depot.  

2019-2020: Mooresville Arts conducted its first capital campaign. In conjunction with the Town of Mooresville's support, improvements were made to the building including refurbishing the warehouse section into the new “Center Gallery.”  

July 2021: the first Executive Director was hired, new policies were introduced, and by-laws were updated. In late 2022, the traveling exhibit of the American Watercolor Society was exhibited in the "Center Gallery".

2022-2023: An executive assistant was hired, and with the help of a grant, two part-time positions of gallery director and education director were added.