By Staci Jones | The Selma Times-Journal

Tremont School has received a grant to assist with its transformation into a performing arts space.

Alabama State Council on the Arts has issued a $10,000 grant to Selma-Dallas County Historic Preservation Society for its plan to restore Tremont School.

Tremont School is recognized as Selma’s first high school. It was built in 1913 and embodies a Classical Revival architectural structure.

The design of the school allows for it to compliment the other historic buildings that surround it.

Before being owned by the Historic Preservation Society, Tremont School was used as a storage building for the Selma City School System.

The two-story, 9,000-square-foot brick building now has a sky-lit auditorium and other sky-lit rooms.

“People would walk by the building and shake their heads . . . but now that it’s renovated, it’s a really sturdy and beautiful building. We’re going to put it to use,” said Slyvia Smith, a grant writer and member of Board of Directors for the Historic Preservation Society.

She also believes that the restoration will allow for a place similar to the Performing Arts Center, which is now the Selma movie theater.

“We want it to resemble the old Performing Arts Center. Ultimately, we would love to have paid staff to help train others for jobs related to performing arts,” Smith said.

The Historic Preservation Society hopes to use the natural amenities provided by the building to turn it into space suitable for all types of visual and performing arts. Smith says that they would also like to use the building for community events.

“We will definitely put the money back into the community, creating spaces for community participation. As we start to move on with the project, we will take in the communities input on what they would like to see happen with the building,” Smith said.

The grant was one of five Cultural Facilities grants in the state and the only one in Dallas County for the year. Smith says the organization is anxious for their next steps.

“We’re taking one step at a time . . . we’re excited to be moving forward,” Smith said.