DERRY — For 40 years, the Marion Gerrish Community Center on West Broadway has provided space for nearly 150 community groups, clubs and organizations

On Wednesday, Sept. 12, the center will be hosting several special events to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

The center and the Greater Londonderry Chamber of Commerce are hosting a private Business After Hours event from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will feature cupcakes from Sinfully Sarah, mead from Moonlight Meadery and floral decorations from Backmann Florist.

“We want to celebrate this historic event with area businesses,” said Sarah Gavin, the director of the community center. “We expect to have a large turnout of over 100 people.”

There will be a number of raffles throughout the evening, including gift certificates to local businesses and restaurants, according to Gavin.

“The center and thrift shop will close early to the public for this special event to allow invited guests private shopping hours in the thrift shop to see the recent renovations to the building, including a wall of then and now photographs and a plaque dedicated to the volunteers who made the center possible,” said Gavin.

“We will also extend the celebration with a public open house on Friday, Sept. 14, from 2 to 4 p.m.,” she said. “The basement thrift shop will celebrate by offering 40 percent of any one item from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The center will host the open house with a raffle, for those attending, for a dining certificate worth $50, cake, water and tours of the historic building.”

The Marion Gerrish Community center was built in the early 1860s as the West Side School and was renovated many times over the years. In 1972, a group of citizens petitioned the town to lease the building and create a community center.

“Immediately after the 1972 vote, the Derry Parks and Recreation staff and volunteers began the awesome task of remodeling the dilapidated building known locally as the pigeon motel,” said Gavin. “To help fund the renovations, volunteers held fundraisers, including auctions, craft fairs, dances, Christmas fairs and October fests. These events, along with the donation of time, talent, and money, helped pay for the initial renovations to the building.”

The community center now operates independently as a nonprofit organization and does not receive funding from the town. In 1991, the community center’s board of directors voted to add a three-story addition to the building to accommodate the requests for more meeting space at the building.

“The Marion Gerrish Community Center board of directors extends our heartfelt thanks to our dedicated staff, volunteers and supporters who have contributed so much and have made the past 40 years so successful,” said Janent Conroy, secretary of the board of directors. “The old schoolhouse became a true community center because the community of Derry believed in it.”

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Adam Swift may be reached at aswift@newstote.com.