In 1983, Paint Creek Center for the Arts opened to the public at 407 Pine Street in Rochester in a white clapboard building erected in 1880 as the Avon Township Hall and initially constructed as a single-story building, one of the few public structures built prior to 1900 that still stands in Oakland County. Paint Creek Center for the Arts grew out of the Art & Apples Festival, which held its first event in Rochester Municipal Park in 1965 and was organized by local residents and businesses in Rochester for almost 20 years. This group also founded the Rochester Arts Commission in 1976 with the goal of establishing a community art center in Rochester. When Paint Creek Center for the Arts was established in 1983, it took over management of the Art & Apples Festival, which has achieved national ranking for many years. Its mission is to enhance life in the region by promoting, encouraging and creating opportunities to participate in and appreciate the arts.