Courtesy of Whaling City/ Spinner Pub. You noticed the Danceland? That was there before the Acushnet Park Skating Rink was housed. This photo appeared to be in early 1920s thanks to automobiles. The carousel was not yet built in that circle seen in that photo above. Something else was in that spot.
Courtesy of Pinterest. Noticed the evolution of the Danceland. It was renovated before the hurricane. I think this is the very roller coaster that was total damaged in the first hurricane. It appeared to be open windows!
Courtesy of Whaling City/ Spinner Pub. The rink in its heydays (taken before public came in that day the photo was taken). Noticed it was the former Danceland. How? Look at the roofline, second, look at those two white dots-like on the upper part of the front of the rink above the rink's sign.
Courtesy of Whaling City/Spinner Pub. Beautiful rink floor. See the ceiling? Uh oh. Not good. One of earliest rails you seen. Very basic one steel pipe rail around the rink and posted on to the columns. Looking toward North. Main doors was behind the photographer.
Courtesy of Whaling City. This is perhaps last photo of the rink before demolished. You can see the hurricane damaged to the building as an onlooker walked by in daze seeing the damages. Yes, you can see the damages captured in the photo showing a peanut vendor booth mashed into the front door of rink. There were debris all over the ground mostly to the left and a little to the right. Foundation to the rink may have had damages but the well-built building itself looked pretty good standing well. I am keeping eye on that boy.. He looks too modern for this photo. Is he... nah.. I do not want to bring up any controversy that he is a time traveler. He does look like wearing a pair of jeans with 2 top. Looks like a vest that is white and a dark colored long sleeve. There is no way this was a style back then. Likely this photo was taken in 1954 after the hurricane hit. Was this the photo that the two Bob saw in their research for Back to the Future? Too bad they did not have a roller skating scene in that movie. I can image similar scenes in the Enchanted of the Sea school dance at the rink would be like. Ha.
Courtesy of Acushnet Park fan page on Facebook. Noticed the CAD drawing of the old park with rides and vendors exactly where everything was. This rendering was made for post 1938 to 1954 generation. The rink is seen on East Rodney French Boulevard. See toward upper right corner of the map.
Google Map. Today view of where the rink used to be. It is a parking lot now for tourists to park and go over on the yellow path to the beach which is to the right of the photo (unseen). Yes, that little gray building that matches to the fading tar on the road is portajohns. Small green booth on the left is ticket booth. You say skate on that parking lot? I do not know. Ask the town permission because you are on their property. Always ask first!
Billboard April 7, 1951. Rink and park up for sale.
Billboard December 25, 1954 explaining about new members and did a footnote in middle of the article about Samuel Philips who owned the rink was destroyed by hurricanes. Yes, PLURAL. Wiki did explained that. Hurricane Carol and Enda. Look it up. Samuel owned another rink, Providence Roller Rink in East Providence R.I. (I hope I got the right rink).
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Acushnet Park Roller Rink East Rodney French Boulevard, New Bedford, MA.
This being a trolley park then an amusement park. This one was built on a 4 blocks or 20 acres which consider small like a trolley park would be. It did include the roller rink. The park was first built in 1916. It did have many amusement park style booths, vendors (like that damaged peanut vendor that was smashed into the solid building that housed the roller skating rink.)
It had roller coasters, and a few rides for children. The skating rink in the park near the turn of East Rodney near the Fort Taber entrance. They had a few entrances. But the main one was being at the beachfront.
But the rink did not open till 1938 after the first hurricane hit.
The photos I saw showed many of the damages but which ones. They had hurricanes rudely knocked the park twice. It happened in 1938 and again in 1954. They had a fire at the park too in 1941 but that was quickly repaired.
The 1938 hurricane really damaged to the roller coaster and the Danceland pavilion. They could not afford to rebuilt the roller coaster so they closed that and repaired the dance place into roller rink and other venues in that building including weddings, private dances, and of course, roller skating.
In 1951, the amusement park including the rink was up for sale. But the hurricane ended it all. After the park was sold in 1954 after 3 years of attempting to sell, it was broken into lots to make into homes. The very last venue at the park was the roller rink which then demolished and currently the spot is a series of parking lot for tourists to park to go over to the beach to enjoy nice summer day to get a tan and swim.
But thanks to Billboard that in 1954 evidently ended the rink and the park itself. It is all residential now. Apparently the rink was well built.
But I am seeing in some other pictures it was Danceland there as well. I will compare photos. You can decide. That photo looks older and place looks pretty bare. Many early 20th Century photos shown of trolley parks, amusement parks, neighborhoods, and many more usually look like that and I believe this was before the original hurricane damaged that building in 1938. Looks pre-1938 so that placed the rink between 1938 to 1954. Photos shows that. Right, mr. competitor? The article in South Coast Today in the 6th and 7th paragraph proved that it was converted to a roller rink.
Possible original operator was Daniel E. Bauer but it was Samuel Philips from 1953 to its closure.
The stories in those links failed to mentioned which hurricanes in 1954 that ended it all but in my research, there were one-two punch hurricanes (other times occurred were Katrina-Rita, and several in 2020). Often hurricanes are one-two punches. Anyway, for 1954, it was Hurricane Carol and Edna. Both hurricane were within 11 days apart! Likely this one-two punch really knocked out the amusement park after all. Too much damages occurred. (Wikipedia)
The Interior.
The rink itself was Maple floor in LOG format layout. It had wood columns on edges of the rink as the extension part of the rink was supporting higher part of the roof and the skirt extensions around the rink was to walk around, bathrooms, and skate rentals as well as snack bar. The skating floor was about 76' x 144' I counted the wood studs and measurements and that is the end result about the size of the rink.
Beautiful floor and looks good shape when that photo taken but of course they had roof problems because if you look up to the ceiling, it had water pool spots on its paneling on those ceilings. Being on the lakeside, always will have humidity, damp, and dew quite often not even counting rain and snow.
The ceiling lights were on the wood beams. No flashing lights, no disco lights, no disco ball, none of that. This look like it was taken in 1940s or 50s. Anyway, the valance around the rink by the posts was only thing to give a theme inside. All necessities were on the right side the same as you seen in photos of exterior. The main door you can see was behind the photographer the same where the peanut vendor smashed into. you were seeing north in that direction in the photo.
All the seats were in a row against all walls for skaters to sit.
The Exterior.
It was originally Danceland that was remodeled into roller rink. It appeared very similar but huge difference was that the new front door was added and replaced front windows. Added sliding doors on the left side of front as well. The foundation was apparently all wood planks that was totally wiped out in the hurricane.
It had wood shingles on first floor and rubber shingles on 2nd floor walls. Gabled roof with skirt extensions.
The Stats:
Rink Size: Appx. 76' x 144' Floor: Clear coated Maple. Floor Layout: LOG.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: 1954 Due to hurricane damages to park, Closed for good and sold.
Type of Building: Free-Span Wood Truss Wood-Walled Convention - like Building.
Roof: Gable with skirt wrapped around building.
Acres: 20/21 Acres (Several sources say differently).
Operated: 1938 to 1954.
Danceland: 1916 to 1938.
Acushnet Rink: 1938 to 1954.
Reason for Closure: Originally for sale but fueled by one-two punch hurricanes (Carol and Edna), entire amusement park sold
Wanted: Information regarding actual dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Whaling City - Acushnet Park Amusement Park; Flickr; Facebook; Billboard April 7, 1951;
South Coast Today; Spark People - an individual's experience at this park; South Coast Today (2nd article);
Hurricane Carol and Edna;
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
It had roller coasters, and a few rides for children. The skating rink in the park near the turn of East Rodney near the Fort Taber entrance. They had a few entrances. But the main one was being at the beachfront.
But the rink did not open till 1938 after the first hurricane hit.
The photos I saw showed many of the damages but which ones. They had hurricanes rudely knocked the park twice. It happened in 1938 and again in 1954. They had a fire at the park too in 1941 but that was quickly repaired.
The 1938 hurricane really damaged to the roller coaster and the Danceland pavilion. They could not afford to rebuilt the roller coaster so they closed that and repaired the dance place into roller rink and other venues in that building including weddings, private dances, and of course, roller skating.
In 1951, the amusement park including the rink was up for sale. But the hurricane ended it all. After the park was sold in 1954 after 3 years of attempting to sell, it was broken into lots to make into homes. The very last venue at the park was the roller rink which then demolished and currently the spot is a series of parking lot for tourists to park to go over to the beach to enjoy nice summer day to get a tan and swim.
But thanks to Billboard that in 1954 evidently ended the rink and the park itself. It is all residential now. Apparently the rink was well built.
But I am seeing in some other pictures it was Danceland there as well. I will compare photos. You can decide. That photo looks older and place looks pretty bare. Many early 20th Century photos shown of trolley parks, amusement parks, neighborhoods, and many more usually look like that and I believe this was before the original hurricane damaged that building in 1938. Looks pre-1938 so that placed the rink between 1938 to 1954. Photos shows that. Right, mr. competitor? The article in South Coast Today in the 6th and 7th paragraph proved that it was converted to a roller rink.
Possible original operator was Daniel E. Bauer but it was Samuel Philips from 1953 to its closure.
The stories in those links failed to mentioned which hurricanes in 1954 that ended it all but in my research, there were one-two punch hurricanes (other times occurred were Katrina-Rita, and several in 2020). Often hurricanes are one-two punches. Anyway, for 1954, it was Hurricane Carol and Edna. Both hurricane were within 11 days apart! Likely this one-two punch really knocked out the amusement park after all. Too much damages occurred. (Wikipedia)
The Interior.
The rink itself was Maple floor in LOG format layout. It had wood columns on edges of the rink as the extension part of the rink was supporting higher part of the roof and the skirt extensions around the rink was to walk around, bathrooms, and skate rentals as well as snack bar. The skating floor was about 76' x 144' I counted the wood studs and measurements and that is the end result about the size of the rink.
Beautiful floor and looks good shape when that photo taken but of course they had roof problems because if you look up to the ceiling, it had water pool spots on its paneling on those ceilings. Being on the lakeside, always will have humidity, damp, and dew quite often not even counting rain and snow.
The ceiling lights were on the wood beams. No flashing lights, no disco lights, no disco ball, none of that. This look like it was taken in 1940s or 50s. Anyway, the valance around the rink by the posts was only thing to give a theme inside. All necessities were on the right side the same as you seen in photos of exterior. The main door you can see was behind the photographer the same where the peanut vendor smashed into. you were seeing north in that direction in the photo.
All the seats were in a row against all walls for skaters to sit.
The Exterior.
It was originally Danceland that was remodeled into roller rink. It appeared very similar but huge difference was that the new front door was added and replaced front windows. Added sliding doors on the left side of front as well. The foundation was apparently all wood planks that was totally wiped out in the hurricane.
It had wood shingles on first floor and rubber shingles on 2nd floor walls. Gabled roof with skirt extensions.
The Stats:
Rink Size: Appx. 76' x 144' Floor: Clear coated Maple. Floor Layout: LOG.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: 1954 Due to hurricane damages to park, Closed for good and sold.
Type of Building: Free-Span Wood Truss Wood-Walled Convention - like Building.
Roof: Gable with skirt wrapped around building.
Acres: 20/21 Acres (Several sources say differently).
Operated: 1938 to 1954.
Danceland: 1916 to 1938.
Acushnet Rink: 1938 to 1954.
Reason for Closure: Originally for sale but fueled by one-two punch hurricanes (Carol and Edna), entire amusement park sold
Wanted: Information regarding actual dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Whaling City - Acushnet Park Amusement Park; Flickr; Facebook; Billboard April 7, 1951;
South Coast Today; Spark People - an individual's experience at this park; South Coast Today (2nd article);
Hurricane Carol and Edna;
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.