Princeton Bowling

Rodney W. ‘Rod’ Keesling (1927-2013) built the Princeton Bowling Alley about 1960  on Honaker Street behind the Trailways Bus Station.  When the bowling alley closed the Princeton Youth Center used the building. Interest in the youth center fizzled. The building was sold, first to a candy company and in 2023 was being used for storage for the First Community Bank.

Rod was a World War II veteran. He learned the construction business while stationed in Guam when he was assigned to the rebuilding of officers’ quarters and other damaged structures. 

Rod was a prominent businessman in the Princeton and Bluefield areas. He and his family owned the Colonial Theater and the Skyway Drive-in Theater before it closed. He was a contractor who developed several subdivisions around the Princeton area.

Rod liked to bowl. His daughter said he was ambidextrous and could bowl with either hand. 

Many people have fond memories of the Princeton Bowling Alley. An inquiry on Facebook, You Know You’re From Princeton, If… received a many replies.

David Wohlford wrote, “There were leagues. Shoe rental was normal. I think it was 24 lanes. They also sold clothing and custom balls. There was food service and I think it had an ABC bar as part of it… I was there most weekend evenings. I lived a couple blocks out from Honaker at the time. Kids like me were welcome. When the #1 pin was red we got free games for a strike. I think it was fixed so the regular kids like me got lots of red pins. It was a good safe place to be as a kid.”

Jerry Falick wrote, “I used to work there when I was about 15. I worked for his manager, Fred Saunders. I hated when it closed down.”

Phyllis Higgins Davis wrote, “When I taught Phys Ed at Princeton Junior High on Straley in the early 1960’s, I would take my classes to that bowling alley for a free half hour of bowling. I had 6 classes and I walked there with each of them. I taught them, before we went, how to keep score and the stance, approach and release. Lot of fast walking because we had one hour to get there, bowl and get back to the school. The students also got a pass, to be used later, for a free bowling game.”

Kathy Lambert wrote, “My dad taught youth bowling there for awhile.”

Dana Lilly Smith wrote, “We all walked there for lunch with our friends and dearly loved it and the food. Fun days.”

Connie Keesling wrote, “…my dad owned it. I was in the second grade. It was so cool to walk to [the] bowling alley after school. It was like 1960-61.”

Jeffrey Simpkins wrote that Jesse Thomas ran the bowling center for him. Jeffrey’s parents ran it for a while after that, he said.

Other comments: Saturday morning the youth bowled; coolest place in town; it’s where I learned to bowl; a great meeting place for teenagers.

The conclusion is, the Princeton Bowling Alley was a great place for the younger crowd and was greatly missed when it closed in the late 1960s or early 1970s.