Re-Opening and Celebration of Cultural Center Planned for August LIBERTY, July 21, 2010 - The formal re-opening and celebration of the expanded Geraldine D. Humphreys Cultural Center is set for Wednesday, August 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. A reception will be held in the foyer of the cultural center, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held in the Humphreys-Burson Theatre at 5 p.m.

The program is being jointly conducted by the City of Liberty, the Valley Players, the Friends of the Liberty Municipal Library, the Trivium Club, The Humphreys Foundation, and the Library Board. The Liberty-Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce will take part in the ribbon cutting ceremony.

The Cultural Center was named after its major benefactor, Geraldine Davis Humphreys (1876-1961), who established the Humphreys Foundation to benefit historical, educational, and cultural purposes. The Cultural Center is located on Mrs. Humphreys’ home place, known as Seven Pines, which was also the home site of her grandparents, Frank and Cynthia (O'Brien) Hardin. The Theatre is named for Kalita Humphreys and her husband Joe K. Burson, who were killed in a 1954 plane crash while en route to New York City. Kalita, who was 40 years old when she died, was the only daughter of Geraldine and her husband Col. Robert W. Humphreys.

The Geraldine D. Humphreys Cultural Center, a facility of the City of Liberty, was dedicated and opened on October 18, 1970. The 23,000 square foot Cultural Center houses the Liberty Municipal Library and the Humphreys-Burson Theatre. The Liberty Bell Tower and the Jubilee Pavilion are attractions located on the Cultural Center grounds. Due to structural defects in the Bell Tower it was demolished in the spring of 2009, but a new Bell Tower is being designed and will eventually replace it.

The Humphreys Cultural Center is currently undergoing a major expansion and renovation project that will double the size of the library and renovate the existing space. An elevator is being installed in the foyer. The Humphreys-Burson Theatre will receive 3,500 square feet of storage space, new carpeting and renovated seating.

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