Liberty Theatre & Ma Rainey House & Blues Museum

Owner: Columbus Consolidated Government | Services: Condition Assessment, Cost Estimating

The Liberty Theatre and the Ma Rainey House are historical landmarks that have played significant roles in Columbus, Georgia’s cultural and entertainment history. 

Built in 1924, the Liberty Theatre was originally a vaudeville and silent movie house, but it later became a popular venue for African American performers during the segregation era. The Liberty Theatre hosted many famous musicians and performers, including Ray Charles, B.B. King, and James Brown. After years of decline, the theater was restored and reopened in 1996 as a performing arts center.

The Ma Rainey House celebrates the life and legacy of the “Mother of the Blues,” Gertrude “Ma” Rainey. Rainey was a pioneering African American blues singer and songwriter who recorded over 100 songs in the 1920s and 1930s. She was born and raised in Columbus, and her childhood home has been preserved as a museum and cultural center. The Ma Rainey House is an important cultural resource for the community and a fitting tribute to one of the most influential figures in the history of American music.

Axias was engaged to complete a facility assessment of both properties to identify conditions, timing, and cost of expenditures required over the next ten years. Our assessment team also determined the failure probability of the various systems and components and evaluated the risk and criticality of system and component failure.