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{{Infobox Building|image=CulturalCenter.jpg|caption=|name=Pensacola Cultural Center|location=400 South [[Jefferson Street]]|architect=[[Rudolph Benz]]|client=Escambia County|engineer=[[Fernando Moreno Blount]]|owner=[[Pensacola Little Theatre]]|construction_start_date=[[1911]]|completion_date=[[1912]]|renovations=[[1946]], [[1989]]-[[1996|96]]|date_demolished=|cost=$180,000|structural_system=|style=neo-classical|size=|mapcode=}}The '''Pensacola Cultural Center''' is a three-story building located at 400 South [[Jefferson Street]] in [[downtown Pensacola]]. It was formerly the Escambia County '''Court of Record Building''', which was built in [[1911]] and served until [[1978]]. The property was deeded to the [[Pensacola Little Theatre]] in [[1988]] as a home for Pensacola's art organizations and was completely renovated in three phases between April [[19921989]] and January [[1996]].

[[Image:CourtOfRecordConstruction.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Court of Record Building under construction in 1911]]Pensacola's population was booming in the early twentieth century, forcing local government to expand its facilities. The City had recently occupied two new buildings adjacent to the Court of Record site: a [[T. T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum|Spanish-style city hall]] across [[Zaragoza Street]] in [[1907]], and a [[City Jail|new jail]] across [[Jefferson Street]] in [[1908]]. The [[Escambia County Board of County Commissioners]], under chairman [[John I. Johnson]], selected the site of the [[Old Escambia County Jail|old County Jail]] and issued a $180,000 bond to pay for the project. Besides the jail and its rear courtyard, two other buildings on the block (including the ''[[Pensacola Daily News]]'' building) were purchased and razed to enable construction.

{{sectstub}}[[Image:CulturalCenterRenovation.jpg|thumb|right|The 1994 renovation]]In [[1988]], the [[Escambia County Board of County Commissioners]] agreed to convey the aging, unoccupied building to the [[Pensacola Little Theatre]]. It was intended to serve as a home for around two dozen non-profits. The first phase, overseen by architect [[Carter Quina]] and [[Greenhut Construction Company]], was made possible by a grant from the Florida Cultural Facilities Development and Operational Support Program. Phases one and two were completed in April [[1992]], and the first tenants included [[Kaleidoscope & Ballet Pensacola]], the [[West Florida Literary Federation]], the [[African American Heritage Society]] and the [[Pensacola Children's Chorus]]. The final phase of the renovation, the Mainstage Theatre, was completed in January [[1996]]. ==Facilities==[[Image:CulturalCenter-CrossSection.gif|thumb|right|280px|Cross-section of the Cultural Center, facing west towards the main entrance]]===Valerie Jones Russenberger Theatre===The [[Valerie Jones Russenberger]] Theatre, also known as the Mainstage Theatre, is the main performance venue of the Cultural Center. It seats 474 seats over three floors. ===Courtroom===The [[M. C. Blanchard]] Courtroom is a 2,030 sq. ft. meeting hall on the first floor of the Cultural Center. After the 1994 renovations, it was used as the [[Pensacola Children's Chorus]] rehearsal hall until the group relocated to the [[First Presbyterian Church]]'s [[Margaret Moore Nickelsen Center]]. ===Atrium===The Atrium is an enclosed, brick-walled courtyard that formerly served to connect the Court of Record Building's judicial and detention sections. It is currently the home of the [[Portabello Market]] and is available to rent for parties and other events.