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The History of the Rodgers Building, Columbian Theater and Columbian
Murals By whatever name, the building at 521 Lincoln in Wamego, Kansas is a historic landmark. The building was built by J.C. Rogers, a local banker and merchant, in 1895 to house a number of the artifacts he had bought at the end of the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in 1893. Also the building was to accommodate a mercantile business a in premium main street location. The stage and large ballroom were built on the second floor and named "The Columbian" because of the large oil paintings and other adornment from the 1893 Exposition. It was hard to visualize that the building, with the boarded up windows in the small town of Wamego, actually houses nationally important historic paintings, artifacts and a stage nearly 100 years old. It was even harder for most to believe that out of this building, which was showing a century of use, that the exquisite performing theatre, museum and art center of State with even National acclaim could emerge. This is an account of such a building, it’s community, and history. NOTE: The volunteer research effort of Carol Cook, Sharyn Katzman, Becky Peters and Mark Hudson is acknowledged and their hard work made this account of the history possible. J.C. ROGERS: J.C. Rogers was born in 1847 at Davenport, Iowa and came to Wamego in 1875 from Spring Hill Kansas (near Kansas City) where he and his brother owned a bank, lumber yard and a flour mill. Mr. Rogers opened a bank upon arriving in Wamego on the second floor of what was the old Vanderbilt building (middle of the block West side of Lincoln between 5th & 6th). In 1886 his bank was chartered as the First National Bank of Wamego and Rogers was president. Before long Mr. Rogers owned all the buildings on the west side of Lincoln Ave, between 5th and 6th. He was known as a quiet and frugal man who was a great advocate of Wamego. He also was known as a strong individual with a head to match. At one point he became so enraged with the Union Pacific Railroad for an overcharge of $14.00 that he set up and operated a Traction Dray line from Wabaunsee to Wamego to avoid giving the Union Pacific business. He ran his freight line at a profit for three years but closed it down the same day the railroad paid him the $14.00. In 1893 Rogers, his wife and about 1,500 others from the area rode the train to Chicago to view the extraordinary Columbian Exposition and World's Fair. He was so impressed with the grandeur and splendor that he returned to Chicago at the close of the fair to purchase two complete buildings, the Wisconsin and Victoria, decorative parts of other buildings, statues, numerous paintings and art pieces and much more. One of his granddaughters remembers stories that some of the items were recovered from the scrap pile as the exhibits from the fair were torn down.. The two full buildings were dismantled and taken to Kansas City for storage in a warehouse owned by Rogers, he later rebuilt the Wisconsin building in Kansas City. Rogers sold the Victoria building to a retired Army Colonel, Daniel Burns Dyer, who combined it with buildings from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair to build a huge private estate. Rogers opened a private gambling and men's club in the Wisconsin building. The Club was "the elegant" establishment in Kansas City and had a prestigious membership. Rogers sold it to the Elks at the turn of the century. The building was torn down in 1960 to make way for the I-35 by-pass. Rogers married Mary Ann Parkins, they had seven children, Duke Alexis, William Andrew, C. Walter, Effie, Genevieve, Isabel and James. Effie and James both died in infancy. J.C. Rogers died in March of 1913. The Rogers home in Wamego was located at 721 Elm which is now part of the Elementary School yard. Rogers was also active in Kansas City Banking and served on the Board of Directors of the Commerce Bank of Kansas City. It was not unusual for him to make two or three trips per week to Kansas City. Clearly he was a man with vision, even his adversaries were impressed. THE ROGERS BUILDING: Construction started in March of 1892 with digging the basement. The building was finished in early 1896. Although not completed, the building hosted its first New Years Eve Ball, December 31, 1895. The first floor retail activities started in the summer of 1896. The main building is constructed of native Kansas limestone quarried from the Picolet quarry south of town (Picolet was the great grandfather of Larry Fechter, a long time furniture retailer on the first floor). In August 1895 the largest stone to come to Wamego was placed as the entryway stone to the building. It measured 4 ft by 14 ft and weighed thirteen thousand pounds. The Stone was removed during renovation to facilitate wheel chair accessibility. All of the building was not of new material. For example: most of the first floor came in one piece from the floor in the old skating rink building which had been built in 1879 and was being tore down in 1894, the seven iron pillars on the main floor were from the Indiana building at the 1893 Fair, the second story windows from the Brazilian building, the stone urns atop the building from the Victoria building, and the large tin eagle from the Government building. An 1895 news account reports "This week a car load of glass and other "Fixings" to be used on the Rogers building was unloaded. Among the many articles was the largest eagle ever seen in this city. It measures thirteen feet from tip to tip and is made of tin." The building is 50 ft wide and 121 ft long and the walls are a foot and a half thick. The first retail business in the building was a mercantile store operated by Sam DeWeese, 1896-1899. Sam installed the first segment of cement sidewalk on the block in front of the store and his store was called "The Eagle Store". In 1899 Rogers moved his hardware store from next door (now the Masonic building) into The Rogers building and operated it until 1905. Electric lights were installed on the first floor in December 1900 using the equipment from the Theater which received its second lighting up-grade that year. Rogers installed the first street light in front of the building in 1901. In 1905 the Rogers boys opened a Buick auto dealership and the first floor was the show room. From 1920 to May 1992 the first floor housed a furniture business. Stewart's furniture (1920), (they were also undertakers), built a ramp into the basement so they could store caskets and the horse-drawn hearse there. A lean-too shed was built over the ramp to protect it from the elements. Julius Zeller, Larry Fechter and Dan Crilly were furniture store owners in addition to Stewarts during the 72 years the store was open. THE COLUMBIAN THEATER: "The first event held in the Rogers building was a Grand Ball held on New Years Eve December 31, 1895. The gala occasion was hosted by the "Ladies Progressive Club" and the Woodward-Keele colored combination furnished the music." (Wamego Reporter). At this time the second story was called the Rogers Music Hall. It was not until early 1898 when the stage was finished that the name "The Columbian" was used. The theatre's name was written in raised relief above the stage, "The Columbian" and the date 1898. There is no record of who coined the name but it is obvious the name's origin is from the fact that the building is adorned with artifacts from the 1893 Columbian Exposition and World's Fair. After the stage was built the theatre went by the name of "The Rogers Columbian Hall". It soon changed to "The Columbian Hall" and by 1911 was referred to just as "The Columbian". The New Year's Grand Ball started a steady stream of events which boggles the imagination and included: meetings of all types, dances, Grand Balls, elegant dinners and banquets, graduations, proms, birthday parties, the very best in traveling theatre, minstrels, vaudeville, lectures, sales, State exhibits, silent movies, and later talkie movies. From all accounts it was busy all the time. J.C. Rogers was a stickler on quality or at least the image of quality which was the main reason that the Columbian was able to attract top-notch entertainment and a good reputation with promoters. In 1901 the theater underwent a major renovation receiving a new pressed metal ceiling, new paint, new chairs, and the 1893 paintings received new frames. The news account of this renovation stated that "the paintings were imported by the government and were in the dome of the Government building at the 1893 Fair in Chicago." Research to date has found no record of the paintings being imported but we have found that a German immigrant by the name of Behr painted at least some of the murals (see the section on paintings for more detail). In late 1902 the old wood burning stoves were replaced by a new steam heat system and electric lights were installed in the main ballroom area. The chairs were painted white (and later the entire interior of the theater was painted white, Circa 1912) and carpets laid. To celebrate the event the grand reopening the Theatre hosted the largest audience ever seen in Wamego who was entertained by "Pickings From Puck", a nationally known humorist. The steady stream of events were advertised in the "Agriculturist" news paper and several other local papers, but not the Wamego Reporter which was owned by L. B. Leach. Leach was also owner of the Wamego State Bank competitor of Rogers, and would not let his paper print anything about Rogers or accept any advertisement from him or business owned by Rogers. However when Rogers died, the editor of the Reporter wrote an extensive commentary on Rogers, his life and many community accomplishments in spite of Leach’s moratorium. It cost him a weeks pay. To drum up business Genevieve Rogers (Daughter) would set outside the theatre entrance and play a mechanical bird in a gold cage to attract attention. When people would stop to marvel at the bird Genevieve would suggest that they go up and see what was going on in the Theatre. The bird (wood, covered with feathers) and the cage made in Paris France, had a wind up mechanism which made the bird move its beak and wings and sing. The bird and cage still exist but much worse for wear. Larry Berner (local jeweler) is attempting to restore the bird and cage. In 1915 the theatre underwent another renovation with 450 real opera chairs, maroon drapes, and ceiling fans. Silent movies became more common and a player piano was added to The Columbian for background music for those movies. The Columbian’s player piano was unique in that it had a separate cabinet attached which would produce other instrument sounds (drums, violin, trumpet, etc.) when wood handles on rawhide cords that reached from the piano to a cabinet were pulled. It was known as the "One Man Band." The Piano Band was sold in the early 1930’s to an individual in Tulsa, Oklahoma who restored it. When the renovation project got under way a person from Joplin, Missouri contacted the Foundation and offered to sell us the restored "One Man Band" that had originally been in The Columbian. He had bought it from the Tulsa individual a number of years earlier and it was for sale at a significant sum. It was good to know that the machine still existed but the price was way out of our budget. In fact our two Grand piano’s and the music synthesizer together cost less than was asked for the renovated "One Man Band." The Columbian hosted everything in the community: socials, dinners, Grand Ball’s, receptions, school plays and even Basketball. Neville Larson, in a news article he wrote in the 1940’s, related his recollections of the late nineteen teens and early twenties when the basketball teams would go to The Columbian to play their games. They had to remove the chairs, set up portable goals and mark a court in tape before they could play a game. After the game they had to put ballroom back the way they found it before they could shower. The next major renovation was in November 1929. This removed most of the 1915 renovation, added fixed seating, rug runners, a huge speaker for sound, a large screen, air conditioning (water cooled air pulled up from the basement by fans), a concrete block projection booth, and a concrete stair-stepped balcony. The advent of fixed seating ended the variety of community uses, ending one era and starting a new one. Of those who remember The Columbian it is the movies, Saturday Matinee shootum-up, late night Owl show, their first date, and sitting in the balcony that they remember the most. Some recall the old ticket office that was half way up the stairway to the Theatre, the quarter it cost for admission and the fact the ticket window was so high that the younger children sometimes would sneak in under the window while their older brother or sister bought a ticket. Management soon caught on and placed a mirror on the wall across from the ticket booth that stopped the "sneaking in." Others remember that The Columbian never had in-door toilets in all of its years. If you "had to go" during a movie you were compelled to leave the theatre and go down to the Drug Store and use their facilities. Still others remember Mrs. Williamson (Manager for a number of years and allowed no horse play) and Beulah Forrester, ticket taker and accountant for the Rogers Bill-Board company. The Columbian played a major role in the cultural life of the Wamego area throughout its existence. Even when the talkie movies forced other activities out, those same movies provided a place to go to escape the realities of life during the great depression of the thirties and World War II. The Columbian went silent on February 9, 1950 and was unused until 1989. Some say it was the influence of TV that closed the Theater. Others say it was the fact that after the war people could buy cars, tires and gas and they were bent on going some place (else). Whatever it was, it affected all small towns in rural America and the movies, performing theatre/Opera houses and art activities that had been so much of those communities' heritage disappeared for nearly two generations. The Columbian's stage was electrically lit from the turn of the century and was one of the first commercial uses of electricity in Wamego. (The first was electric water pumps in 1898.) The stage had several unique features: it boasted three trap doors in the floor, the dressing rooms and curtain fly were in a 25 ft high structure above the stage and the stage was 36 X 50 feet in size (which was big for its time). The ticket price was not always considered reasonable. One news account complained "that $2.00 for a charity ball was too much (but the house was full anyway)." The average fee was 50c for adults and lowest fee was 12c in the late 30's. The Columbian was the location of the mid-west opening of the 1918 silent movie "The Unbeliever," a war picture in which Clarence Douglass, a Wamego boy, appeared. Some time in the mid 1950's the dressing rooms above the stage were removed because of storm damage. In 1983 the heavy concrete projection room and balcony were removed along with the seats and front windows. The Wamego Times newspaper printed "The cold touch of reality took the last of the magic from the Columbian's walls last week." Apparently it was not true since everyone who has climbed the stairs since the early 1990's are still awed by the 1893 paintings, the size of the room and the presence of the stage. Even the skeptics see the vision and grandeur of the past and can almost hear the player piano. The "magic" lives on! In the fall of 1994 after five years of planning, fund raising, hard work and a $2.5 million dollar renovation, The Columbian reopened as a majestic Performing Theatre, Museum and Art Center. It opened with a series of gala events: an Elaborate Black Tie Ball; a three week Wamego artist exhibit and Marylin Maye with three performances (noted Jazz Singer from Kansas City). The renovated facility included not only a Performing Theatre with modern light and sound but also a spacious Gallery area on the first floor and an art education center on the lower floor. The Columbian seemed to know that it had returned to being the best entertainment place in Kansas because it hit the ground running with an aggressive full theatre performance schedule, a variety of dances, art exhibits in the Gallery which change every six to eight weeks, a variety of elegant and charming Community and private social events, and art classes for young and old in a full range of art subjects. Of course open daily to present, to all that visit, the beautifully restored 1893 mural paintings, the numerous other artifacts from the 1893 Columbian Exposition and World’s Fair, and the intriguing history of the building and the restoration project. Indeed the Magic is alive and well. THE 1893 PAINTINGS: Of all the things that J.C. Rogers brought back to Wamego from the 1893 Columbian Exposition, the paintings are the most impressive. Everyone who grew up in Wamego subsequent to 1950 knew of the six large paintings that were framed on the walls. No one alive knew that fourteen more paintings from the 1893 Fair were hidden away under the stage. Although most of the people that acknowledge having gone to movies at The Columbian they all claimed they paid little attention to the paintings. Some of the ladies confessed that they tried not to look at them, since two of the painting had partial nude figures in them, but they all could remember in great detail the location where they sat on their first date or got their first kiss. Whether it was the familiarity or not knowing the history of the paintings (or both) the paintings were not considered to be valuable. In fact appraisers brought in by the previous owner found them insignificant. One appraiser offered, if he was paid $50 he would take the things away. One of the first actions taken by the Foundation, when the building was purchased, was to start a search for the history and origin of the paintings, who painted them and how did they get to Wamego. Over a two year period numerous Art agencies, Art historians, Government agencies, and Chicago based historians were contacted to determine any information available about the paintings that hung in The Columbian. Some of the places contacted included: the Chicago Historical Society, the National Archives, the Smithsonian, Dr. Gerts (Art Historian of New York University), Dr. Eldridge (Hall Distinguished Professor of American Art at the University of Kansas) and others. We found that all of the paintings were commissioned to be painted by the U.S. Treasury Department and most of the paintings originally hung in the rotunda of the Government Building at the Exposition. The six paintings that hung in the ballroom, and are still there, were originally part of a group of eight and were 11 X 16 feet in size. An article in the Scientific American (spring of 1894) listed Rogers as buying the eight paintings from the rotunda of The Government building. But what happened to the other two was an early mystery. In April 1992 Becky Peters, a research volunteer for the theatre, found an article written in 1896 by L.B. Leech. The article describes his visit to Rogers' new Men's club house in the reconstructed Wisconsin building in Kansas City. His description of two large mural paintings at the ends of the great hallway matched in every detail the two missing paintings from the Wamego suite. Those painting are assumed destroyed when the building was taken down in 1960. Neither the Elks nor the county who was using it as a place for the homeless has any record of the paintings being removed. The 1893 paintings were hung in the Columbian as 9 X 13 foot pieces and stayed that way for nearly a century. We had suspected some of the paintings to have the semicircle top folded under because of a dust line showing a faint semicircle. When the paintings were taken off the walls in February of 1993 to start their restoration, two feet of width and three feet of length was found folded under on each painting. Their entire original size had survived. The paintings were restored to their original size and shape. Although it was clearly the right decision, the additional $50,000 cost to do so made us weigh the decision carefully. The eight paintings were two sets of four -- one set representing the leading economic features and prosperity of the regions of America: North, South, East and West. The other set depicted prosperous trades and industries. These included "Steel and Industrial Trades, Architecture and Building trades and (taken to Kansas City in 1896) The Tapestry and Weaving trade and Ceramic and Pottery crafts." Although the 1893 Exposition was one of the best documented events, the Government Building and its contents were not. One reason was that, almost from the first day, the Fair officials and the Treasury officials were at odds. Another reason was that the critics, architects, and artists of the time felt the Government Building was so un-inspired (looked like every State Capitol building in the union) that they refused to include it and the contents in their written reviews. Consequently it has made the search of the artist who painted the government murals more difficult. At this time (1996) we do not have the full story yet on who painted the murals. We have found a contract in the National Archives with Phillipson Brothers of Chicago to paint the interior of the Government building and eight paintings called the "Children's Frieze." The contract allowed 120 days to finish and a fee of $14,200. A Chicago newspaper reported in February of 1893 that the paintings by Phillipson were of poor artistic quality and bad choice of colors and that the Treasury had rejected the pieces. Phillipson refused to repaint the murals pleading insufficient time before the fair opened in May. The Treasury withheld the funds for the paintings from Phillipson final payment and the matter was settled in the courts some five years later in favor of the Government. The Treasury is also reported to have sent several artists, who were under contract to the department for other things such as currency and the art work in the Library of Congress, to paint the new murals that were displayed at the fair and found their way to Wamego. One Chicago scholar (Ron White) presents a composition which is predicated on William H. Lowe as one of the painters since there is a strong likeness to him as young man in the stone mason figure in the painting titled "Architecture and Building Trades" and a likeness of his girl friend Mary Macmonnies in the central figure of the painting titled "East." Mr. White’s belief is that Lowe used his artistry to inconspicuously put himself and Mary in the public eye without her husband being aware. Another possibility was raised when we found one of the Chicago papers had Theodore Behr depicted in a sketch working on the painting titled "Architecture and Building Trades." Behr’s work was confirmed as the paintings were cleaned the conservator found the painting titled "East" was signed E Behr and the painting titled "Steel and Industrial trades" was signed ETB. By implication it appears that Behr was the principle artist, but it does not rule out that other guest artists assisted. Art historians have found evidence of at least four different hands work during their inspection of the paintings. It is likely the search for the rest of the story will continue for years. In the fall of 1990 the Columbian Theater Foundation held a "historic dig" to sort through the numerous things on and under the stage. About 50 people from all parts of Kansas worked on the dig. The dig located numerous movie theater items; equipment used in the theatre from the first day, such as the gas light manifolds and gas generator; many flyers and correspondence from the performing theatre era; the first Buick auto dealership, silent movies and talkies. Material found was cataloged by Mark Hudson, a volunteer. One of the most important items found under the stage was a large crate that initially was thought to contain stage backdrops. However, upon closer inspection, a month later, fourteen additional paintings from the 1893 Columbian Exposition were found in the crate. Two 4 X 9 feet Eagles clutching a shield and two American flags. Four 8 1/2 X 4 feet individual female figures of allegorical representation. Two 7 1/2 X 14 feet semi-circles, one of a mountain scene with mountain climbers in the foreground and the other of the Garden of the Gods in Colorado. The last six paintings are 9 X 19 feet scenes of America: U.S. Capitol Building Washington D.C.; The Golden Gate (San Francisco before the bridge); Niagara Falls; Mammoth Hot Springs (a Yellowstone park feature); Yosemite Valley; and the Florida Everglades. Each of the six paintings is titled in 12 inch gold lettering. There were originally eight panels as they hung in the Government building rotunda (hung above the other paintings that are now on the walls of the Columbian). It appears that Rogers bought all eight but two were used for other things in the Wamego theater. One was painted silver and used as the silent movie screen. The canvas was found on the stage, well used and showing parts of the gold oil lettering through the overpaint. It is believed to be a cityscape of Chicago. The painting is not restorable. A similar fate may have befallen the other missing painting as the top 8 to 9 inches of it was found fastened to a 20 ft board, the canvas no doubt long since discarded. The Eagle and Female figures are done in oil and the American scenes are done in a water based medium called distempera (paint pigment in an animal glue or gelatin). The finding of the fourteen paintings changes our collection from six interesting paintings to a nationally significant twenty painting collection. They represent about 60% of the decorative art in the Government building and are the only decorative art located from the Fair still intact. The other decorative art at the Fair was given to the fair officials who had stored them, with some of the other artifacts, in one of the buildings selected to be kept as a museum. The building burned in 1894, about four months after the Fair closed, as the result of a labor dispute involving a small factory at the edge of the fair grounds. All items were lost to the fire. This has strengthened the belief that The Columbian collection is the only remaining decorative art to have survived. The paintings found under the stage have been placed in a fire proof and climate controlled vault in the basement of The Columbian. Because of their size there is currently not room in The Columbian to display them and the decision has been made not to restore them until we know where the paintings will be displayed. The six 1893 paintings that were hanging in the theatre were framed with cedar boards one inch by six inches, set at a 20 degree angle and painted black with splotches of gold to present a marble effect The frames were 9 by 13 feet in size. Three feet of the top and a foot on either side had been folded under and the painting tacked every three to four inches. Two canvases were pieced in the center to provide the full size and in some places the glue that was used had failed. The paintings themselves were showing the wear and tear of a century. In some cases severe damage was inflicted, such as the 10 inch hole cut in "East" to accommodate a stove pipe and a three foot L shaped tear in the same painting. The tear was tacked to the wall to keep it in place. Likewise the soot from the wood and coal burning stoves in the early years had left a heavy layer of grime that obscured much of the detail and color of the paintings. In fact it was not until the paintings were cleaned that we realized how much the grime had concealed. Fearing that the painting would be heavy and hard to handle, a large crew was gathered when it came time to take them off the wall for restoration. But they were a good deal lighter than expected and four people could handle them easily. It is surprising that they did not fall off the wall since the frames rested on a board at the bottom and were nailed with a single large square nail at the top. When the paintings were taken off the wall a bat was found living behind the painting titled "South." It flew around the room several times and disappeared. He still lives in The Columbian (as of 1996) as he sets off the security alarm some times flying around and scares the heck out of the police when they enter looking for the intruder and are attacked by the bat. We contacted three conservators (1991) to look at the paintings and provide bids for the restoration. Perry Huston and Associates of Ft Worth, Texas, Kennedy and Associates of Houston Texas and Western Center of the Conservation of Fine Arts of Denver Colorado. All provided similar evaluations and each of the bids for restoration were close but Jay Kurger representing Perry Houstn seem to be better informed and our other sources favored Perry’s company. Also at that time Perry was finishing the restoration of the murals in the library of Congress. Just to be sure we sent Cynda Benson, a doctoral candidate in Art History at Kansas University, to visit Perry’s facilities and she gave a glowing report upon her return. We also found that Perry had completed the restoration of the Curry paintings on the Kansas State House walls. We selected Perry to do the restoration of the six paintings and have been delighted with that decision ever since. Perry came to Wamego in February of 1993 and supervised the removal of the paintings from the wall and prepared them for shipment to his facility. He had to stabilize several areas prior to placing them on two foot round cardboard tubes and rolled paint side out and separated by plastic. Restoration of old paintings is a time consuming and painstaking task in any case but when there are 152,064 square inches of canvas to deal with it is an immense undertaking. Because the paintings were painted to last only six months they did not receive the usual protective coat of varnish. There was nothing that separated the dirt and grim from the oil paint so it was important to create the right solvent to cut the grim and not damage the paint. The paintings were cleaned with the assistance of the Art Lab at the University of New Jersey who devised a special solvent. Other techniques were used to relax and revitalize the paint and canvas. Cleaning with nothing more that a cotton ball was an endless task on paintings this large. After cleaning, the paintings were infused with a synthetic wax to bond the paint pigment to the canvas and provide the medium to bond a new canvas on the back to provide additional support. To everyone surprise this was applied with a hand iron and the bond between the two canvases literally "ironed on". Then the paintings were mounted on special frames that would provide the support. Paint was then added to the places that had lost pigment such as the tack holes, creases and tear’s. A special paint is used so it can be reversed if required in the future and the conservator never alters the original. The paintings were returned to Wamego on their frames in October 1994 by special van. They were than placed in the theatre using a motorized lift, which raised the painting to the South fire escape door that is a 12 ft high opening, (was originally built that way). The genius of Perry Huston restored the detail, color and size of these once forgotten paintings and recaptured their majestic display. Other historical artifacts found under the stage were: the original gas lighting system; (the methane gas generator, gas foot lights, gas ceiling lights, and the low pressure gas piping); Movie projectors which were first used in 1929 were found, along with the carbon arc lights which provided the strong light for projection; several 70mm Glass slides used to announce coming attractions and business ads; Business papers and interesting letters to the Rogers family were found which provided insight of how things were in those days gone by; Four years of early 1940’s magazines published by movie companies were found; The original speaker that was used for the talkie movies was there and it still worked ( was made of plywood and weighed about 400 lbs.). As the project started there were a monumental number of unknowns. Everything about the project had to be learned since none of the founders had any experience in restoring a performing theatre, historic paintings, or how to go about creating a multipurpose Theatre, Museum, and Art Center, etc. . It was much like starting a puzzle or a treasure hunt. Concerning the paintings and other 1893 artifacts we started a systematic search for information and the following is a list of those whom we ask for information and assistance. Contact has been made with the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian, the Chicago Historical Society, the History Works (a private research group in Chicago), Duane Perrigo of Prairie Village, KS, The Getty Foundation, Allen Farancez of New York, Dr. William Gerts of City University New York, Gladys Pena of New York and Jack Kunin of Denver. Material and photos of the paintings were sent to those people for their information and comments. The following people have traveled to Wamego and viewed the paintings first hand: Dr. Burton Dunbar, an art historian and Associate Dean of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri at Kansas City; Dr. Eldredge, Hall Distinguished Professor of American Art at the University of Kansas; Dr. John Frohnmayer, former Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts; Jane Alexander current (1996) NEA chair; Jay Krueger, Conservator with the National Museum of American Art; Dr. Ramon Powers, Executive Director, Kansas State Historical Society; Cynda Benson and Sharyn Katzman, Doctoral candidates at the University of Kansas; Perry Huston, conservator; Carmen Bria, conservator; Ellen Kennedy, conservator; Senator Robert Dole; Representative Jim Slattery, U.S. Congress; Danny Baker, District Representative, National Endowment for the Arts and Joan Wingerson, Kansas Arts Commission. By the summer of 1993 over 7,000 people had visited since The Columbian Theater Foundation was formed in 1990. In 1995 over 70,000 visited and 1996 over 70,000. Extensive national and local media coverage was focused on the Columbian during the summer of 1992. Of particular interest was the rediscovery of the paintings, as well as the professional comments on the significance of the 1893 works. The New York Times, The Kansas City Star, and The Fresno Bee all did feature articles on the Columbian. Most national papers and all the Kansas papers reprinted the material. Kansas and Missouri Television stations as well as CNN showed footage of the theatre and paintings and related the history associated with them. The Public TV program "Sunflower Journeys" featured "The Columbian" with two other Kansas theaters under renovation. Because of the extensive coverage, the Wamego collection of 1893 art became known to many of the art galleries in the nation, as well as most prominent art scholars and much of the general public. A prestigious Chicago art museum, The Terra Art Museum of American Art, contacted the Foundation with a request to show the paintings at the Terra during the summer of 1993 as part of the 100 year celebration of the 1893 Fair. We agreed to allow two of the paintings to go to Chicago however the additional size discovered when the paintings were taken off the walls made the pieces to large to go through the doors at the Terra. Although there is a good deal of information yet to uncover about the paintings, we do know some things. For example: the experts are sure that more than one painter worked on each of the six paintings that hang in the theatre because of the variety of techniques used and the span of artistic talent demonstrated. They are equally convinced that only one hand painted each of the fourteen found under the stage (not necessarily the same hand in each). The paintings appear to be the only existing decorative art from the 1893 Fair. Restoration of the six paintings cost $155,000 with about $10,000 shipping, insurance and handling costs. It is estimated that the fourteen will cost $220,000 to restore. The paintings have been appraised by Dr. Dunbar at a total value of $790,000. Twelve paintings are valued at $50,000 each, the two cityscapes found under the stage at $75,000 each, the two eagle paintings at $5,000 each and the four individual female "allegory" figures at $7,500 each. The value of the paintings stems primarily from their history, longevity, humanity's value, who commissioned them, what they were painted for and that they are sole survivors of the decorative art at the 1893 Fair. All of the professionals who viewed the paintings strongly urged restoration and return to public view. IF ITS A CENTURY OLD THEATRE IT MUST HAVE A GHOST. I would not say that I am a firm believer in ghosts but there are things that have happened and still happen in The Columbian that are easier described as ghost activities than explained any other way. After the first meeting of the group that formed to buy the Rogers building I agreed that as a retired Air Force Colonel I had the time to devote daily attention to the project. Also that the Air Force thought Colonels could /should be able to master anything. Since money was short the group was great on titles so I became the first Executive Director with a salary of six figures (all zeros) and established an office on a mezzanine area of the furniture store on the first floor. I placed my desk under one of the large school house type lights and started the work of saving a theater. Within three months I noticed that the light over the desk would blink now and then. I changed the bulb and later had Charlie Johnson from Wamego Electric look at it when it kept blinking. This light was one of three on the same circuit and the others did not blink, so he put in a new socket and new wire to the next light fixture. Within a week the light was blinking again. Not often and usually only two or three blinks. However, in the fall of 1990 about a month, after we had the Historic Dig and moved every thing found to the basement to be catalogued, my light started blinking so fast that I could no longer concentrate on the typing I was doing. I went to the basement to look over the things found under the stage. I noticed the large crate (which was marked as stage backdrops by the crew who took it to the basement) and decided to see what these backdrops looked like. When I unrolled the top canvas about two feet I was shocked to see what I recognized as one of the landscapes from the Government building at the 1893 Fair that was in a photo that the Chicago Historical Society had sent me. By the time I returned to my desk the light had stopped blinking. I soon realized that the light blinked every time something important to the project was about to happen. About three weeks later Dr. Ditto, Foundation President, came by and while we were talking the light started to blink, I told him that something important was about to happen. And so it did. Within five minutes the editor of the Wamego Times called to say he had just received a news release reporting that the Foundation had just been awarded a grant of $130,000. We concluded that J.C. Rogers was watching after the project and we could use all the help we could get, even if it was a ghost. Of course you cannot have a ghost without foot steps, etc. During many of the evening sessions the committees had planning the details of the renovation we would hear someone open the outside theater door (which was always locked) and would walk up the stairs. When I would go check, the door was locked and no one was in the theatre. In 1991 a local reporter was doing a follow up story on the progress of the project. She ask about how our ghost was doing and I responded that I would not put too much stock in any ghost stories upon which a framed picture that was hanging on the wall went crashing to the floor. Since then I have had the good sense to acknowledge the possibility of a friendly ghost. The renovation stopped the old light from blinking ( it was removed with all of the wiring) and you would think that with a $2.5 million dollar renovation and all new wiring that nothing would blink. Not so. The lights in the History room (in about the same location of the old blinking light) now blinks on occasion. The last time it blinked recently we were notified the next day that the state had granted the Foundation a Property Tax exemption. Likewise, the staff working late often report hearing foot steps but there is no one there. And then there is the Bat that we found behind one of the paintings when they were removed for restoration. It is still around nearly three years after we closed up all the holes and made the building air tight. If it's not J.C. Rogers, then I am not sure I want to know who or what it is. THE COLUMBIAN THEATER FOUNDATION, INC. The citizens of Wamego had often said "someday we should restore The Columbian" but it was the unexpected event of the building becoming "for sale" in the summer of 1989 that set the renovation time table as "now". A small group of thirteen citizens met and formed a corporation to buy the building and determine if restoration was possible. The group included Dr. William Ditto, Colonel Ray Morris, Rosemary Crilly, Ed Pugh, Ben Meek, Jim Meinhardt, Charlie White, Dave Karnwoski, David Vanderbilt, Jerry Lichtenhan, Jerry Freeze, Mark Arbuthnot, and Clark Balderson. Did the community see the need?; Was the building sound?; At what cost?; if renovated could the theatre play an important role in the community?; and if renovated could it sustain sufficient income to pay for itself? A town meeting was held to receive input from the community. Nearly 60 people attended and voiced a distinct need for a professionally equipped facility that would assist in local people participating in various art activities. The next step was to do a marketing study and then a feasibility study. These were partially funded by small grants by the State Main Street project and the Kansas Art Commission. Technical assistance by both of these groups was key in working through the unfamiliar territory of program development. Once it was determined that the project was possible and the cost would be $1,500,000 (ended up as $2,500,000 because the first floor and basement renovation was included three years earlier than planned, since the furniture store on the first floor had closed unexpectedly prior to start of the renovation) another town meeting was held to report the findings. The community responded that they still felt the project should move ahead. A Non-profit organization was formed to own the building, the paintings, solicit donations and grants for restoration and to oversee the restoration and future operations. The Internal Revenue Service granted the Foundation 501(c)(3) status as a public Non-profit corporation which makes donations to the foundation eligible for tax deduction. As a Non-profit corporation the directors and officers serve with out pay, there can be no distribution of resources to members and should the Foundation be dissolved for some reason all of the assets must be given to another 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. One of the policy provisions that the founding directors made was that the Foundation would not seek or accept any direct tax dollars in support of the Foundation activities. The Foundation is totally supported by its membership, private gifts, competitive grants and income producing activities. Single membership in the foundation was established as $25 annually. The Foundation has prescribed other levels of membership which receive special recognition, however, all members regardless of levels of giving have only one vote in the corporate business. (With family memberships both husband and wife are considered members). The Foundation has identified a number of features in the theatre which may be named for the donor or a memorial as specified by the donor if they make a gift equal to exceeding a established dollar goal. A list of these are available by calling the Executive Director. The Foundation also has established an Endowment fund which will assist in providing extended support and resources that in-turn contribute to the long term stability. As a Non-profit Foundation there is often ways to accept estate gifts or be the recipient of estate planning that provide resources to The Columbian which does not alter what may given to family or in some cases actually provides the estate more usable funds because of tax considerations. The Foundation has a committee who are professionally qualified to provide information to you and your tax advisor and may be reached through the Foundation office by calling (913) 456-2029, Fax 913-456-9498 or writing the Foundation, P.O. Box 72, Wamego, Ks 66547. THE PROJECT Although none of the original directors had the same vision or reason for doing the project they were able to accept a part of each of the visions which produced a facility and operation that exceeded everyone’s expectation. This capability to merge ideas and work together is most likely the key to the enormous success of the project. The fact that each brought to the table a special ability and was willing to apply it to the project was also important. With the decision to attempt the project Bruce McMillian was hired as the project architect and the directors and volunteers spent hundreds of hours mapping out the details. Committees were organized to focus on the many facets of the project. The committees included Building layout and decoration, History and the Paintings, Public relations and information, Fundraising, Equipment, Operations and Kitchen Sometimes after many hours of work things just did not seem right and so we started over on that segment. Of all the things that were re-looked at and changed I do not recall any that we wished we had not changed. In fact most of the things we changed our minds on have become important features in The Columbian. ( Additional stalls in the Women’s restroom, to have a Balcony or not, location of the Kitchen, location of the Light and Sound control booth and the undertaking of the renovation of the Gallery and Education center areas two years early) It took three years and thousands of volunteer hours to finish the detailed plans and work on fund raising. In the spring of 1993 the project was put out for bids and to our horror all the bids came in over $400,000 over the estimates. If there was a dark day for the project this was it. We stuck to our original rule that we would not spend money we had not raised, so we spent three months agonizing over what to cut. By July 93 we had made the hard decisions, re-sized the project and selected BHS of Manhattan as the general contractor with a start date of September 93. Interestingly enough of the features that were cut we only regret not having the service elevator to the stage. The rest we are glad we did not do. Also in July 93 we received the biggest single ( may be it only seem like the biggest since it came on the heels of our down-sizing deliberations) shot in arm when The Mabee Foundation notified us that they would provide the last $300,000 of the project providing we had acquired the rest by July 1994. Nearly that same time Terry Thibodeau arrived in Manhattan and agreed to be a volunteer with our project. Terry had just left the St. Louis Art Center as their Director of Development and was a talented experienced fund raiser. Just what we needed. We met the Mabee challenge in less than seven months. Of course nothing succeeds like success and when it became apparent that we could occupy the first floor and basement two years earlier that anticipated we were able to raise the funds to include the Gallery, Catering Kitchen and Arts Education center as part of the renovation. Grand Opening and Operations: As we solved the myriad renovation/restoration and fundraising issues we became aware that with the setting of the Grand Reopening date there were as many questions to be dealt with in starting operations as there were in bringing the building back to life. It was also so clear that we could not wait until the Grand Opening to creating operating policy, hire staff, schedule activities, etc. One would think that it would be easy to put together a operational concept and details simply by looking similar activities. Our operational concept was to be open daily as a Historic Museum to present the 1893 paintings, their history and the history of The Columbian; engage in a variety of Gallery exhibits which would change every two to three months; provide an extensive and varied performing theatre schedule; a active and varied Art Education curriculum; a fashionable art Gift shop; and an active special event/ catering calendar. The truth was that there was no-such animal in Kansas or any place else. So it was back to breaking new ground and creating unique concepts based upon information from organizations who have single or dual activities. We were convinced that the key to any operation is hiring qualified, experienced, trainable and energetic people. Since there is no corollary organization to ours we looked for people who had experience in at least one of the disciplines or our planned operational scope, demonstrated the ability to respond to challenges and manifested enthusiasm for the project. It was decided that the first task was to select a person to be in charge and/or responsible for supervising the entire business and have them involved in selecting the rest of the staff. I do not recall consciously making enthusiasm for the project as the most important attribute/qualification but I think it turned out that way. At least for the key positions. Also for all our key positions the individual hired was first a volunteer. An early issue and concern was how to attract superior staff to provide the quality of operation to match the quality of the facility. We are a small town and had a project with no track record. As often was the case when a need arose there was always a unexpected solution that presented it’s self. For example: we needed an executive director with art experience/training as well as talent in fund raising, solution Terry Thibodeau. Terry had a degree in art history, had fund raising experience with Doane College and Wichita State. She was the Director for Development at the Saint Louis Art Center, a natural for our Executive Director. Terry orchestrated the impossible, creating a top notch operating Theatre, Museum and Art Center, completing major fund raising and establishing a solid membership base of supporters. We needed a artistic director who could establish a premier performing arts schedule, solution Linda Uthoff. Linda Uthoff, grew up in Wamego and had extensive experience in the performance arts, not only as an actor but directing and producing stage productions. Just the person for the job, as her management and scheduling of the performances has made The Columbian the place to go for theatre for North East Kansas. Original planning considered special events (dinners, receptions, and other social events) as significant but had no one in mind that was capable of orchestrating elegant activities. Three months before the Grand Opening Connie Collins came to the temporary Foundation office and announced she would like the opportunity to create a special events and catering business in The Columbian that would be second to none. Connie had just moved to Wamego and had over ten years of catering and special event experience with several Hotels in the Orlando Florida area. She was hired for a six month trial as a independent contractor however with in two months it was clear that she exceeded all expectations and she was hired as permanent staff. Connie had made elegant events at The Columbian the envy of Kansas and one of the hallmarks of the facility. The Education center needed a professional educator with arts ability to develop the variety and depth of arts classes envisioned. Margaret Buie, a noted Art teacher in the local school system, found the challenge of this new activity as something she was interested in working with. She retired as a teacher and became the Director of the Education Center and Gallery. She has created a arts instruction program unequaled in Kansas. These four individuals established a level of professional programming and implementation which will be used as the measure of excellence for The Columbian and other arts organizations for years to come. The building renovation focus was on returning The Columbian to hosting the variety of activities it did at the turn of the century, with the same sense of quality and elegance but with today's modern conveniences. Things that were restored are: the 1893 mural paintings that hung on the wall, pressed metal ceiling, the stage, house light fixtures, fire escapes, ballroom floor, and ticket booth. Things that were recreated are: the large Eagle and stone urns atop the building, the dressing rooms, and ceiling fans. Things that were added to meet today’s standard of quality are: indoor restrooms, elevator access, fire suppression system, various equipment to assist the physically impaired, climate and humidity control, replicas of gas light chandeliers, Smoking Balcony, catering kitchen, and modern stage lighting and sound. Other house-keeping items include a new roof cover, new electric wiring and service and some re-pointing of the stone work. In 1992 the furniture store on the first floor closed and the plan to add a Gallery, Education center and Kitchen features was moved up nearly three years which accounts for the increase in cost of the renovation. Now it seems it would be impossible to operate The Columbian without those significant and important additions. The operation provide daily tours of the paintings, a facility capable of performing theatre, art training programs, seminars, art exhibits, professional and amateur activities, workshops, grand events and a full range of community activities. Since reopening in the fall of 1994 The Columbian has been visited by people from all 50 states and 18 foreign countries. Between July 1995 and July 1996 over 70,000 people visited the facility. One of the operational oversight committees along with the theater Executive Director will make up an Area Arts Council. |
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