Liberty Theatre

Introduction

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Liberty Theatre has been a mainstay on Adams Avenue since it was built in 1910. The historic theater was designed in the Commercial style and features attractive brickwork and arched windows. It is the only theater in La Grande from the early 20th century still standing. Over the years, the theater hosted vaudeville acts, silent films, and movies. It closed in 1959 and remained largely vacant for five decades before restoration began in 2009. This process is continuing as of 2020.

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The historic Liberty Theatre was built in 1910 and operated until 1959. It is undergoing renovation and will become a performance venue.

Backstory and Context

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The theater was built by S.A. Gardinier and his wife, Madeline, and they named it Orpheum Theatre. They had already built two other venues in town—the Star and Scenic theaters. The Orpheum had 438 seats on the ground floor and 182 on the balcony and there was also gallery over the stage. It hosted traveling vaudeville acts until about 1930 when it was renamed as Liberty Theatre and began to show silent films. By the early 1950s, the Liberty had lost its status as the city's best theater and closed in 1959. It became retail space in 1962. Fortunately, the Liberty did not suffer the same fate as the other theaters, which were converted to apartments, and remained in good condition. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. Once the restoration work is complete, the theatre will become a performance venue.

Sources

"History." Liberty Theatre. Accessed August 26, 2020. http://libertyonadams.org/about-main/history-sub.

Lusk, Mae L. "Liberty Theatre." August 5, 1999. https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OR/99000948.pdf.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Ian Poellet, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Liberty_Theater_-_La_Grande_Oregon.jpg

Additional Information

Liberty Theatre