The Cedar Riverside People’s Center Then and Now
The People’s Center in 1925 and 2010
Since 1970 The Cedar Riverside People’s Center Medical Clinic has occupied the old Riverside Farrington Memorial Chapel. The People’s Center was founded in 1970 by grassroots organizers who sought to address the needs of the economically and socially disenfranchised. The result was one of Minnesota’s first free medical clinics. Back then, the center was staffed by volunteer medical personnel and had very limited hours of operation. Today, the People’s Center is a Federally Qualified Health Center staffed by professional physicians, nurse practitioners, and social workers, with daily hours of operation and a variety of programs and services. The building also contains the 100 seat People’s Center Theater. The space has been used for as a music venue as well as a home for theatrical productions , lectures and workshops. The theater has been home to variety of companies including Joking Apart, Mary Worth, Pig’s Eye and the Minnesota Shakespeare Project. Its history dates back to the 1970s when it was home to America’s longest running Women’s Theater Company, At the Foot of the Mountain.
Cephalopods always welcome!