I grew up in St. Joseph and I remember the King Theater quite well. I remember spending many a Saturday afternoon, in the summer, in the coolness of the theater watching double features. The King Theater closed in the mid 50s and was never occupied by any business until it was demolished in the late 60S. The building in the picture is not the King Theater. The building pictured, currently Darcee’s School of Dance was originally Weiner' Department Store. To the south of Darcee’s is the intersection of East Hyde Park and King Hill which was the “main drag” providing access off Mason Road/East Hyde Park Streets to King Hill Avenue until road were made in the late 60s. The grassy area immediately to the left/north of Darcee’s is where the King Theater was located and north of the King was the Brown family home. The King Theater and Weiners’s Department Store/ Darcee’s did not share a common wall. There was a narrow space between the two building that collected a lot of trash and debris. In behind Darcee’s and the King Theater was a large, undeveloped hill which we used to play on. During hard rains mud would was from the hill into the street south of Darcee’s creating a slippery mess and a safety hazard. In the late 60s the highway department removed Weiners Hill, the King Theater and the brown family home to provide a direct access from Mason Road/East Hyde Park Streets to Alabama Street.
I grew up in St. Joseph and I remember the King Theater quite well. I remember spending many a Saturday afternoon, in the summer, in the coolness of the theater watching double features. The King Theater closed in the mid 50s and was never occupied by any business until it was demolished in the late 60S. The building in the picture is not the King Theater. The building pictured, currently Darcee’s School of Dance was originally Weiner' Department Store. To the south of Darcee’s is the intersection of East Hyde Park and King Hill which was the “main drag” providing access off Mason Road/East Hyde Park Streets to King Hill Avenue until road were made in the late 60s. The grassy area immediately to the left/north of Darcee’s is where the King Theater was located and north of the King was the Brown family home. The King Theater and Weiners’s Department Store/ Darcee’s did not share a common wall. There was a narrow space between the two building that collected a lot of trash and debris. In behind Darcee’s and the King Theater was a large, undeveloped hill which we used to play on. During hard rains mud would was from the hill into the street south of Darcee’s creating a slippery mess and a safety hazard. In the late 60s the highway department removed Weiners Hill, the King Theater and the brown family home to provide a direct access from Mason Road/East Hyde Park Streets to Alabama Street.