Liberty Theater
133 E. Maple Street,
Columbus,
KS
66725
133 E. Maple Street,
Columbus,
KS
66725
No one has favorited this theater yet
Additional Info
Architects: Carl Boller
Firms: Boller Brothers
Previous Names: McGhie Theater
Nearby Theaters
Opened in November 1904 as the McGhie Theater. It operated as a venue for live shows until 1911, when it began showing movies. By 1919 it had been renamed Liberty Theater.
In 1925, the theater was nearly destroyed by fire, but was renovated. It continued showing movies until the 1970’s, when it was converted into a disco.
When the disco craze bottomed out, it became the home for several businesses. But, currently, the theater is empty.
Interestingly, the old ornate ticket booth that once stood outside the theater was sold to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., where it is kept in storage and used for special occasions.
Contributed by
Paul Salley
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
The Liberty Theatre seated 480 people.
A Reproduco automatic piano/organ unit may have been used at this theater at one time. These instruments are collectors items today.
DURING THE LATE 40’S AND EARLY 50’S, COLUMBUS HAD THE LIBERTY AND STATE THEATERS. 480 SEATS FOR THE LIBERTY SOUNDS CORRECT. BUT, 1200+ FOR THE STATE SEEMS HIGH—800 OR MAYBE 900. IN THE EARLY 50’S THERE WERE ALSO 2 DRIVE-INS, THE COLUMBUS AND THE CHEROKEE…DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM EACH OTHER ABOUT ¼ MILE SOUTH OF MAPLE ST. ON HI-WAY US 69. THEIR POPULARITY CAUSED THE LIBERTY AND THE STATE TO GO OUT OF BUSINESS, PROBABLY IN THE LATE 60’S. THE LIBERTY HAD A BALCONY, AND A “SIDE STAIRWAY” FOR THE COLORED MINORITY TO USE..(I’M SAD TO SAY.) WHILE I WAS GROWING UP THERE, IT WAS RAN BY A MR.HUSTON AND HIS LADY. THE PUGHS RAN THE STATE, AND THE COLUMBUS DRIVE-IN. AS I RECALL, THE LIBERTY HAD AN ART DECO STYLE AND WAS VERY NICE. THE STATE WAS BUILT LATER THAN THE LIBERTY AND WAS MORE ‘INSTITUTIONAL’. I BELIEVE THEY BOTH HAD ‘CRY ROOMS’ WHICH MOTHERS COULD TAKE THEIR NOISY BABIES TO, BUT STILL SEE THE MOVIE, AND THE SOUND WAS PIPED INTO THE MOSTLY SOUND-PROOF RMS. I LEFT COLUMBUS IN 1960 FOR COLLEGE, SO MY MEMORY IS NOT PERFECT. I ALSO REMEMBER THE 2 DRIVE-INS IN PITTSBURG, KS. THE REALLY BEAUTIFUL ONE WAS THE 69 DRIVE IN, ON HI-WAY 69, SOUTH OF PITTSBURG…WHICH IS NOW LANGDON LN. AT ONE TIME, PITTSBURG ALSO HAD 3 INDOOR THEATERS: THE COZY, THE COLONIAL, AND THE MIDLAND. IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE MORE INFO, LET ME KNOW. I’M ALSO QUITE FAMILIAR WITH MOVIE HOUSES THAT EXISTED IN JOPLIN, MO.
I am a vocal music student at PSU and I married a Columbus HS graduate. We went on the bus tour last fall during Columbus Days and the guide said it was and opera house? I assume that is what the above information means by used for live performances. PSU has a active music performance program so hearing about an old theater that isn’t used anymore was sad. Could it still be renovated and used for live performances again? Does anyone have pictures of the old inside? If I was older and had more money I would consider investing in the renovation and frequent use of this facility to further interest in performing arts!
Actually the ornate box office referenced above is on display at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring Maryland.
Does anyone have a photo of the Liberty or Columbia Theatre where you can see the box office clearly? We’d be interested in showing the photo in our lobby display.
AFI Silver Theatre 8633 Colesville Road Silver Spring, MD 20910 301-495-6700
The Liberty Theatre in Columbus,Kansas, was mentioned in the July 14, 1919, issue of The Film Daily. Four years later, the July 14, 1923, issue of The Moving Picture World reported an improvement to the house:
The products of the New York City-based Typhoon Fan Company were mentioned fairly often in early theater industry trade journals. They were a popular appliance in theaters before the advent of air conditioning. For those who might be interested, there are a few photos of Typhoon fans, and a vintage ad for the company, on this page of a discussion board at the web site of the Antique Fan Collectors Association (who knew there were fan fans?)Bill Robinson, yes my grandparents (Leon/Marilyn Pugh) ran the State theater & the drive in on west side of 69 where retirement community now located. My great-grandparents lived in the home that sat just north of the entrance. They also owned the Fredonia drive-in. I spent many a summer night early 70s playing on playground in front of the screens in Columbus & Fredonia & remember being at State theater couple times also.
My great-grandfather was William E McGhie and owned and operated the original Liberty Theater. My grandmother told me many funny stories about the theater and I have pictures of the inside and outside. I gave copies to the historical society in Columbus, KS, but they seem to have misplaced them.
kkdeda: Thanks for providing us with the correct spelling of the name McGhie. With that information I’ve been able to find quite a few references to the McGhie (or McGhie’s) Theatre, including one that reveals that it was designed by Carl Boller. As the project was designed in 1904, it was one of Boller’s earliest theater projects. This item is from the July 2 issue of The Columbus Weekly Advocate:
The Weekly Advocate of December 1, 1904, reported that the formal opening of McGhie’s New Theatre had been a great success. It didn’t give the exact date of the late November event.