National Transit Art Studios: Rent a Studio

The beautiful, centrally located National Transit Building houses unique studio workspaces at affordable rental rates. A variety of artist tenants and onsite performance, classroom, and gallery spaces make the National Transit Building a hub of creative activity.

The National Transit Building is a local historic and artistic treasure. Built in 1890, with the Annex added in 1896, the building originally served as the headquarters for the National Transit Company, a subsidiary of Standard Oil. The lavish decoration and materials used throughout the building are evidence of its rich beginnings. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and was rescued from demolition in the mid-1990’s by Ralph Nader, who then gifted it to the community non-profit which now manages it, the Oil City Civic Center.  It is truly a unique and beautiful piece of Oil City’s history which has also served as the heart of its downtown from its earliest days.