History of the Liberty Theater 

Shown above is the Grand Theatre on Shoemaker Street as it appeared before a marquee had been added to the front of the building. The Jackson Township tax record of 1909 listed this property as 1 lot, 1 house, used as storerooms, owned by George Commons and Joseph Maxwell. In 1912 -13 it was converted to a hotel that burned down in 1918.  In 1920 - 21 a theater building was built on the property by J.A. Commons, Guy Commons, and Alfred Bennett. An advertisement in the Journal of May 5, 1921, announced movies coming to the Grand Theatre. Over the years the name of the theatre changed from Grand to Family and, in 1941, to the Liberty. The Liberty (Grand) stopped showing movies after showing Chapter Six of a series of "Captain Video" on September 5 and 6, 1952.  In September 1961, John and Marion Commons Hayes purchased the building and had the sloping floor of the theater leveled to use the area as a warehouse for Commons Hardware.  In 1974 it was purchased by the Blacklick Valley Community Association which used it for the Nanty Glo Senior Citizens before transferring it to the Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society.