The building began its life as Darlington College of Education, which was founded by the British & Foreign School Society. From 1876 to 1978 it was used as a teacher training college. In 1978 it became Darlington Arts Centre funded by Darlington Borough Council. On July 10, 2001, ownership of the building was officially handed over to Darlington Borough Council.
April 1876 Darlington College of Education was officially opened and in January 1878 Miss Fanny Smallbones was appointed as Principal.
1880s Common room added and new infirmary built at the west end of the North Wing, approached by its own outside staircase.
1896 New science laboratory was opened. It adjoined the classroom to the west of the South Wing, and the floors above provided additional cubicles for students and rooms for staff and maids.
1897 More land acquired for playing fields.
1903 The West Wing opened. Designed by JP Pritchett it was a 4-storey high building with a semi-basement with boilers and changing rooms for games and a mezzanine room.
1911 New gymnasium and art room opened. Designed by Clark & Moscrop it also housed a new art room.
1913 Further improvements made by new Principal Miss Freda Hawtrey.
1914 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment occupied the College, but this only lasted 2 days.
1917 Ashgrove was purchased with its one and a half acres. The house itself became a staff hostel, until 1962 when it became a students' hostel.
1918 Miss Sarah A Walker took over as Principal.
1926 Dining hall enlarged, and above this extension new sick quarters were built.
1936 Blanche Pease Hall built to provide 20 studio bedrooms, an art studio, and a biology laboratory.
1936 to 1938 under the new Principal, Miss Stanton, 2 hard tennis courts were laid, and work began stripping out the cubicles so as to provide study bedrooms.
1939 Richard Pease Hall was built in the grounds of Ashgrove, designed by the architect CW Miller Potts to provide 54 study bedrooms.
During the war, watchers took their duty at the top of the tower and in 1943 the tower became top secret for it was chosen as one of two local observation posts for the Royal Observer Corps.
1955 The dining room and the assembly hall were enlarged and joined up to the gymnasium with changing rooms.
1956 A new house was built near the gates for the engineer.
1958 Dining hall was transformed with new French windows.
1962 Miss PM Steele took over as Principal.
1965 Stanton Hall was erected as a hall of residence.
1965 The rooms above the ‘new’ assembly hall included an ‘upper hall’. The lecture theatre was converted to a common room by the removal of the tiered gallery; the west wall was pierced by French windows opening onto the terrace and provided with a tea bar. The old cubicles in the long South Wing were removed and the wing became a spacious library.
1976 Darlington Arts Association formed to press for an Arts Centre in the town.
1978 The college sent the last of its trained teachers into the education system, and closed its doors for the last time.
1978 A 20-year lease was signed with the owners, the British & Foreign School Society. The 5 trustees appointed a Management Committee, and Rick Weltman was appointed as Director.
1982 The newly altered and improved Arts Centre was opened, providing an improved theatre, ballroom, shop and the new foyer, bar and Stripes bistro.
1983 The Myles Meehan Gallery was opened.
Since then, ongoing improvements and updating have kept the profile of Darlington Arts Centre as one of the top regional arts venues. The agreement to purchase from the British Foreign School Society meant that after twenty years of use, the people of Darlington via Darlington Borough Council, at last own one of the finest old buildings in the town.