People's Theater - Pleasant Hill Downtown Historic District - Pleasant Hill, Mo. - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

Date of Construction: 1909

This brick and reinforced concrete two-part commercial block has a rectangular footprint. The vertical neon sign and large entrance awning distinguish this building's function and form. The symmetrical front elevation is four bays wide. The contrasting colors of the blond and dark brown brickwork define the bays of this elevation. Movie poster display cases flank the recessed entrance, which contains two sets of double-leaf entrance doors. A ticket window and single, fixed display windows pierce the side walls of the recessed entrance space. Fenestration includes the original three-light casement windows at the second story. Additional character-defining features include the patterns created by the contrasting colors of the brickwork at the front elevation; the soldier and header brick that frames each opening in the facade; the projecting pier containing the historic neon sign that reads "PEOPLE'S"; and the historic marquee canopy suspended by cables over the entrance. This building underwent a complete remodeling in 1948, at the height of the "Big Build" period in Pleasant Hill's history. This building retains a high degree of architectural integrity. It clearly conveys its historic associations and is a contributing element to the historic district.

The Peoples Theatre opened in 1909. The theatre was reconstructed in 1948 in a Art Deco style. The Peoples Theatre closed as a movie theatre in 1972.

In 1982 it was reopened as a live performance venue for country music and comedians. In 2012 a drive with matching funds was met and the iconic ‘Peoples’ vertical sign and marquee were restored. In October 2014 the Big Creek Country will celebrate its 32nd anniversary in the Peoples Theatre.