CLAYMONT – The Archmere Academy community gathered the morning of March 30 to celebrate the opening of the Rocco A. and Mary Abessinio Performing Arts Center, a year and a half after the school announced that it had received a $3 million donation from the Abessinio Foundation. The theater, according to the school, is the heart of the Archmere community.
It is the main gathering place for students, faculty, staff and families. Regular assemblies include Mass on holy days and special seasons of the liturgical year, theatrical performances, lectures and assemblies, and special events, according to the school. The center includes a 700-seat theater, lobby, art gallery, backstage “green room,” dressing rooms and choral and band rooms.
Updates were necessary for several reasons, the school noted when the donation was made. The theater needed better functionality, up-to-date materials and more innovative systems. The seating had to be made compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and public restrooms were expanded. The heating and air conditioning systems were replaced, as was the fire safety system.
Work began after graduation last June when Rocco and Mary Abessinio visited the campus for a symbolic start to the work.
The Abessinio’s donation included $2 million for the theater, half of which was a “challenge grant” that was designed to encourage others to give. The other million was for Archmere’s scholarship fund.
Archmere was once the home of businessman and philanthropist John Raskob and his family. He sold the property to the Norbertine fathers, who opened Archmere in 1932 as a boarding and day school for boys. The campus includes eight buildings on 30 acres.
