The original 5,100-square-foot south wing of the event center was built in 2001, then expanded with an 8,000+ square-foot north addition in 2018. The south wing was simultaneously remodeled to create a physically and aesthetically united venue.
The names associated with the Talbott Event Center carry considerable regional significance. The building itself is named after former NEWESD 101 Superintendent Brian Talbott, Ph.D., who led the agency from 1982-98.
The J. Leigh Schultheis and Carl Putnam rooms are named after former NEWESD 101 board members renowned for their long and distinguished careers in public service. The Deb Ramsay room is named in honor of a NEWESD 101 employee who was the agency's esteemed director of technology and design services until her death in 2017.