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Fast-acting Firefighters Save Missouri Theater
posted by
RobbKCity
on
March 23, 2011 at 7:52 am
ST. JOSEPH, MO — The Missouri Theater complex here was damaged by fire early Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011.
Fast-acting firefighters took drastic action to save the theater itself from fire damage. Firefighters on the roof cut a 4-foot-wide trench in the roof and ceiling of the building adjacent to the east wall of the Missouri Theater. Because of their efforts, the theater itself only sustained smoke damage.
Dressing and rehearsal rooms, and theater office space, in an adjacent building were the only areas damaged by fire. Most costumes and props were lost. The adjacent building in the theater complex serves as an umbrella location for several groups, including the Allied Arts Council, the Performing Arts Association, the St. Joseph Symphony and the Robidoux Resident Theatre.
The Missouri Theater was designed by the Boller Brothers architecture firm, and completed in 1927. It is among the rarest of theaters that utilize a Moorish interior style and designs coming from Assyrian, Persian, Hittite, and Arabian culture.
The 1200-seat theater is owned by the City of St. Joseph, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The most recent renovation occurred in 2002.
