Information
LEA COUNTY MUSEUM WISHES
TO OBTAIN 1948 LEA THEATER
The Lea County Museum Board of Directors have indicated they would like for the museum to obtain the historic 1948 Lea Theater located across from the county courthouse on the Lovington town square.
The movie theater, which is in excellent condition, sits adjacent to the museum’s 1931 Lister Building, a 14,000 square foot, two-story structure which houses many rooms and a variety of history exhibits.
The Lea Theater is also located in the heart of Lovington Main Street’s plans for developing the downtown historic district.
Museum board president Gene Murphy says that the acquisition of the theater would add significantly to the museum’s collection of historic structures.
In addition, Murphy believes having the building would insure that it is preserved for future generations of Lea County residents.
“Preserving it is very important,” he says. “Just think about what the building would mean for the county residents twenty, fifty, or one hundred years from now if residents then could experience in the theater what we can experience now.”
The museum board has indicated that if they are able to purchase it, they would like for the theater not only to continue to show contemporary movies but also to regularly screen classic films on the theater’s big screen.
In addition, there are many possible uses of the old movie theater, including serving as a venue for regularly scheduled concerts that need to be indoors; being the home to live plays and dramas locally produced or provided by traveling drama companies; providing a setting for lectures; and serving as a site for larger business, church, or social meetings.
In other words, the Lea Theater could function as a Lovington annex of the Lea County Event Center. If there were organizations, for instance, that wanted to have meetings in Lovington, the theater could serve as a convention center.
Additionally, its location in the heart of the town would enhance opportunities for nonresidents to become familiar with social and cultural opportunities offered in the county seat, in a way similar to the museum’s summer concerts do.
The Lea County Museum Board of Directors are also looking for input from residents of Lovington and Lea County. Board members are asking, “What do you think of the idea of acquiring the theater?” and “What are some other uses of the theater that you might suggest?”
You may offer your suggestions by visiting with individual board members or by calling the museum at 575-396-4805 or emailing the museum at