The original building was constructed in 1896 as Sperry Flour Mill. Trains would pull-up along the west side of the warehouse to unload the grain, and trucks would pickup the flour on the east side of the building before distributing throughout the city. During the Great Earthquake of 1906, part of the building closest to the tracks was damaged, yet the mill was back in production within five months. Almost a century later, the building was bought and renovated by a brewing company.
The Arlene Francis Foundation acquired the building in 1996 for the purpose of providing educational and cultural activities to benefit Sonoma County. from 1997 – 2008 the Foundation partnered with San Francisco’s progressive New College of California to offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Community for students seeking to link their education with positive social and environmental change.
The Arlene Francis Center was founded in 2009 with the intention of manifesting a space where the community could foster a new social climate and seek new ways of being. We wish to embody a model of what the future society might look like, in a way that inspires others to create their own affiliated efforts in creating a better world.
This very special place is known to many as a true community center that feels like home. It is a space cared for by dedicated community members, neighbors, and friends working together to design and produce a variety of multi-cultural and inter-generational activities, events, and projects!
