Liberty Hall has been a major part of Lawrence Kansas history since it was first constructed at Massachusetts and Seventh Street as the Bowersock House in 1882. Named after J.D. Bowersock, who created this building after the Sheriff of Lawrence burned down an earlier building at that spot a few years before. Liberty Hall was intended to be an opera house, but the building was used for much more than opera. They used it for public assemblies and city meetings as well. In 1911, the Bowersock house was burned down.

Liberty Hall 1: A picture of Liberty Hall taken across Massachusetts Street in Downtown Lawrence.

After the Bowersock House was burned down, Lawrence gained a new opera house that cost several thousand dollars to build. The building was three stories high. It had an entrance located on the corner of Massachusetts Street and Winthrop Street (7^th Street). The opera was still performed in the Bowersock House, but soon people started requesting plays and other artistic assemblies.

A seventh grade girl stares at the North entrance to Liberty Hall in downtown Lawrence.

The Bowersock House had the name changed to Liberty Hall in mid-1930. Within that time, Liberty Hall has been changed internally, and externally. The big change occurred when Liberty Hall was renovated in 1980. Now, when you visit Liberty Hall, you can see great things such as concerts, movies, plays, operas, and even movie rentals. Liberty Hall is a very unique building that helps distinguish downtown Lawrence from any other average town.