Opened on March 6, 1936, the “State Theatre” served as a 700-seat movie theater with “Anything Goes” starring Bing Crosby being the first show. The original theater was designed by architect Erle G. Stilwell and was decorated with Mediterranean-Revival-style murals and a lighted star constellation in the ceiling.

In the 1950s, the State Theatre was remodeled to accommodate the CinemaScope format and a permanent screen was erected. It was operated by the Wilbey-Kincey chain. In 1978, the State Theatre showed its final feature film then was closed.

In January 1985, the theater reopened as Christian Cinema and then in August 1988, it was again renamed to All American Family Cinema. Since then, the theater has been used as a dinner theatre, a nightclub, and a cheerleading school. Ownership then changed hands over the years with various plans but has sat vacant.

In November of 2019, Kingsport native and auto repair business (The Body Shop) owner Mark Hunt purchased the property from Urban Synergy. With the pandemic pushing back work in 2020, work has picked back up full speed in 2022. Mark plans to restore as many of the design features of the original theater as possible. Plans for the new theater include not just movies, but concerts and comedy shows as well. A roof-top entertainment area is also in the plans. Tri-Con Builders, LLC has been working hard on the project and aims for completion in Spring or Summer 2023.