Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center
H·MAC
The H·MAC building as seen from across North Third Street
Address1110 North Third Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Coordinates40°16′06″N 76°53′17″W / 40.2682°N 76.8880°W / 40.2682; -76.8880
Construction
Builtc. 1865
Renovated2009
Expanded2015
Website
Official website

The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, alternatively the House of Music, Arts & Culture (styled "H·MAC"), is a multidisciplinary arts and cultural center located in Midtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is located in the historic Police Athletic League building, which originally served as a Jewish Community Center about one mile (1.6 km) from the Pennsylvania State Capitol complex.

History

The building was originally a private residence built c. 1865 for Albert and Kate Hummel and their four daughters. In 1869 the house, which included fourteen rooms and two baths, was valued at $37,000. Harry E. Hershey purchased the house in 1893. The Hershey family lived there until 1925 when it was sold to the Fraternal Order of Orioles. The Orioles added a three-story addition to the back of the house which included an auditorium and a dining room. The building became the Jewish Community Center in 1931 and belonged to the Police Athletic League from 1960 to 1984.[1]

Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center and its Stage On Herr opened in 2009. In June 2015 the entire building opened which now included The Capitol Room space and a Kitchen & Gallery Bar area. An unused swimming pool also remains in the basement of the building. In August 2018, the bar filed for bankruptcy, but exited the following May with a rebranding to House of Music, Arts & Culture.[2] Despite this change, it is still commonly referred to as Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center.

Stage On Herr

The Stage On Herr is a 34,000-square-foot (3,200 m2) performing arts space located inside the former Hebrew gym. It is a venue for music, comedy and arts. Opened in 2009, it has a capacity of 350 people, hosts a variety of events and contains a full bar.[3]

The Capitol Room

The Capitol Room is an art deco ballroom on the second floor with a stage and 1,200 person capacity. It contains a bar and a mezzanine overlooking Third Street.[4]

Controversy

H·MAC was the subject of controversy after a patron alleged she was drugged at the bar and subsequently sexually assaulted in July 2018, which unleashed a social media firestorm of further allegations directed toward H·MAC and founder John Traynor.[5] Harrisburg Police denied many of the claims of the woman and on June 30 2021, a Dauphin County judge awarded Traynor $4.7 million in a defamation suit after the bar entered bankruptcy in 2018 following a loss of business. Traynor continues to work under the new HMAC Venue LLC. as a consultant.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Frew, Ken (December 2003 – January 2004). "Harrisburg Lost and Found: Hummel House Running Out of Time". Historical Harrisburg Newsletter: 8–9.
  2. ↑ "HMAC Sale Pending: Harrisburg arts venue to change ownership, exit bankruptcy". TheBurg. 2019-05-01. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  3. ↑ "H·MAC Stage on Herr – HMAC". Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  4. ↑ "H·MAC Capitol Room – HMAC". Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  5. ↑ "Social media firestorm over rape report singes Harrisburg's HMAC". pennlive. 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
  6. ↑ "Former owners of HMAC in Harrisburg awarded nearly $5 million in defamation suit". pennlive. 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2021-09-16.
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