Historic Liberty Theater gets $4.75M transformation into new music venue

Nestled in the streets of downtown Lawrenceburg sits a 131-year-old theater. On the outside, the tenured building wears a red brick facade, weathered with time. On the inside, construction crews work to restore the historic space to its former glory.

Thanks to Middletown native Dan McCabe, 59, the old theater breathes new life, this time as the Whiskey City’s Liberty Theater.

McCabe is a longtime figure in the Greater Cincinnati area’s up-and-coming music scene. Before embarking on this most recent project, he served as a partial owner of MOTR Pub and Woodward Theater, both of which are in Over-the-Rhine. He also is a founder of the gone-but-not-forgotten MidPoint Music Festival.

Why choose Lawrenceburg?

Though Lawrenceburg is only a 30-minute drive from the heart of the Queen City, McCabe says the southern Indiana community has a different and distinct feel.

"I chose Lawrenceburg because of the unique setting," McCabe said. "The fun, growth culture that comes from a small community really interested me. Also, access to an old theater and being able to bring that back to life."

Like his previous projects, the Liberty Theater’s stage will be dedicated to up-and-coming artists. It can be a place for them to develop their craft before moving on to bigger stages and brighter spotlights. McCabe, as a musician himself, feels a lot of passion watching emerging acts perform

“It's fun watching these artists take the stage and explore their craft,” McCabe said. “It's fun watching audiences engage with those artists. It's great fuel to get out of bed every morning and enjoy life.”

For the emerging artists, McCabe hopes the new community can provide them with an expanded fanbase and increase the acts' revenue without oversaturating the Cincinnati market.

“They now have an opportunity to develop a completely different crowd base, try out new ideas and build a fan group that is autonomous from what they have built here in their hometown with very little effort, other than driving 30 minutes away,” McCabe said.

From the ground up ...

To create this space for artists, McCabe had to make some serious renovations to the physical building. The ongoing refurbishment process has lasted nearly a year and cost a steep $4.75 million. McCabe and a team from Maxwell Construction are rejuvenating the theater from the ground up.

The building's foundation, once formed from copper and field rocks, is being reinforced, walls are being added and the existing space is being reimagined for the theater's next chapter. With so much change, McCabe says the space is "a different view every day."

One of McCabe's favorite projects has been restoring the stage. In the 1920s, when the building was used as a movie theater, the main stage was walled off. McCabe's team has torn down that wall and revamped the stage with some of the original flooring and salvaged wood. They've also added extra insulation to the walls for better acoustics.

Despite all the renovations, the building still bears reminders of its past.

"These are the original floors, fixed up, and you can see it," McCabe said. "The second-floor room tilts. That's because it's been through a few floods. It has a sense of history to it when you’re in that room."

Through the renovation process, McCabe said his goal was to not erase the theater's history, but to embrace it.

“It has a place in history and should be put back to work for the community and for the generations to come,” McCabe said. “It's what it was built for in 1893, as a place for the community to come and gather. And it's going to be that again.”

Once the Liberty Theater opens its doors, 450 fans can pack into the open concert space. Like MOTR, there are no seats, only general admission tickets for shows.

It's more than just a theater

Beyond the stage area, Liberty Theater is also equipped with a small carryout kitchen and a whiskey bar.

A kitchen area, called Stage Right, will offer a small menu of fried chicken, smoked pork, smash burgers, mac and cheese, collard greens, salads and more.

The menu is a nod to the legacy of fried chicken commonly served in the region. McCabe is “bringing the chicken trail to Lawrenceburg.” Traditionally served on Sundays, the area's fried chicken is known to be plentiful and coated in a heavy dusting of pepper.

On Stage Left, the Liberty Theater’s whiskey bar is also serving up a menu rooted in Lawrenceburg’s history. The town is known as Whiskey City for its many distilleries and deep-rooted passion for whiskey-making.

The bar will have 12 taps for local beers alongside an assortment of local whiskey and bourbon. McCabe hopes to offer selections from Ross & Squibb Distillery, New Riff, Buffalo Trace Distillery and more.

The kitchen and bar will operate independently of the concert area itself. Of course, both will remain open during shows, but their operating hours will not be limited to the theater’s performance schedule.

McCabe says the bar will be open seven days a week.

The Liberty Theater’s inaugural performance is set to take place on Sept. 6 when country musician Kelsey Waldon will take the stage.

“Come and sip a beer, enjoy some music, and while you’re there, try to imagine what life was like in a river town 131 years ago,” McCabe said. ”Everyone should come out and experience it.”

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 131-year-old Liberty Theater transforming into our newest music venue