Construction on the building now known as the Rutland Civic Center began in 1955 and was completed in 1957. The building opened as the Rutland Gymnasium and housed athletic facilities, dressing and locker rooms, a band classroom, a concession area and offices. Under the ownership of the Northwestern Local School District, Rutland High School occupied the Rutland Gymnasium until the High School closed in 1968 during the Meigs Local consolidation. Thereafter, the Rutland Gymnasium was owned and operated by the newly formed Meigs Local School District.

During the mid-to-late 1940 era and through the 1960 era, the Village of Rutland boasted itself as the home of the Rutland Red Devils, which compiled one of the best football records in southeastern Ohio under the direction of Coach James Vennari, who served as Head Football Coach from 1946 to 1962 and School Principal from 1962 to 1967 at Rutland High School. The Rutland Red Devils boasted a record of 96 wins, 26 losses and 7 ties.

The legacy of the Rutland Red Devils continues through the annual banquet held by the Rutland High School Alumni Association, memorabilia display in the main lobby of the Rutland Civic Center, a crimson red and black color scheme in the Center's gymnasium and a beautiful municipal park erected in the name of Coach Vennari through an endowment from his spouse, the late Martha Vennari.

From 1968 until 1982, the building was utilized by Meigs Local as a community facility, rented out by various groups and organizations. In 1974, the band classroom was converted into a garage space to house the ambulance of Rutland Emergency Medical Services (EMS). The adjacent locker and dressing room was converted into office space to house the Rutland EMS Department. 

In 1980, the building was transferred by the Meigs Local Board of Education to the Village of Rutland in the amount of $1.00 with a warranty deed requirement of keeping the building in perpetual use as a community center and in good repair. Following the Village's acquisition of the building, rooms underwent renovations converting locker and dressing rooms into office spaces to house the administrative departments of the Village of Rutland Government, and the building earned its name, "Rutland Civic Center". The Rutland EMS Department remained in the building, and the Rutland High School Alumni Association was authorized to occupy one room in the building for storage purposes.

Today, the building continues to serve the community as a dual civic facility that houses a gymnasium for community events and gatherings as well as office spaces for Village administration.