Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA. Source: Pinterest.
Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA. Source: Source: Susan Miller Postcard Collection.
Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA. Rear of color postcard. Source: Susan Miller Postcard Collection. Copyrighted Digitally Remastered by Dead-Rinks-- removal of typed name and address of a female in Pennsylvania and clean up.
Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA. Facebook said for this appearance in this postcard was from 1941. Source: Susan Miller Postcard Collection.
Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA. Postcard in its happier days. Source: Susan Miller Postcard Collection.
Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA. Sixth anniversary is mentioned.. Source: Billboard - 13 January 1945 Issue, Page 46, 2nd column.
Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA. Roller rink in foreground in photo is seen totaled damaged. Source: Susan Miller Postcard Collection.
Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA. Roller rink in foreground in photo is seen totaled damaged. Source: Susan Miller Postcard Collection.
Broadway Rollerdome Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA
Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA
Broadway Roller Rink Ohio Avenue, Glassport, PA
Glassport, Pennsylvania's beloved roller rink, Broadway Roller Rink at Ohio Avenue was operational until a huge fateful day, April 1963 when a "tornado" destroyed the rink and a few other buildings, which is not a whole lot of buildings. It was destroyed in a very gusty whirlwind-like wind. You seen those often with leaves you seen on your well paved driveways or sidewalk or the side of the road where you live, you seen how it whirls. Tornadoes are usually funnels touching the ground. This one was merely between 0.1 mile to a mile long depending on what sources you find on the internet. They all saying the same as I am saying. Appeared to be 5-ish buildings in total with the rink being heavily damaged. Maybe more.
Broadway Roller Rink was originally as Broadway Rollerdome had its start in January 1939 according to Billboard (13 January 1945 Issue, Page 46, 2nd column.)
Andrew Fasiska, the operator of Broadway Rollerdome operated for a number of years. I am not sure if he was the same owner until the destruction of Broadway Roller Rink in 1963.
The history of the rink itself had a company-sponsored employee Roller Hockey team first called as the "Glassport Bees" and later reorganized and named as the "Glassport Jets". The team operated over 19 years in practice and competition including at the Broadway Roller Rink.
The fateful day for the rink was at 9:50 AM on Saturday, 03 August, 1963. Merely 3 and half months before JFK Assassination in Dallas, Texas, the gust winds of up to 90 Miles Per Hour attacked several buildings in Glassport, Pennsylvania. Destroying several buildings including the U.S. Glass House (never worked again), Copperweld, the High School Stadium, and the Steel City Lumber Company. Sheets of corrugated steel were ripped from Copperweld and tossed far up the hill. The roof of the Reliance Hose Co. was dumped in the entrance way of Copperweld Office Building which had been severely damaged by flying debris. Copperweld's new 2 years old office building was built with the amount above $500,000.00 was "practically in shambles". The heaviest losses were in the casting department, the rolling mill, ground rod department, laboratory and the engineering departments. Gratefully, the mill was closed for the annual summer vacation or the loss of lives may have been heavy.
Glassport Memorial Stadium damages were estimated at $100,000.00. The steel bleachers were crushed like a sheet of paper and huge holes were punched in the concrete wall. Heavy steel floodlights were bent and twisted, one set of lights was flung over a car parked in front of the Roller Rink.
Broadway Roller Rink on Ohio Avenue had a group of 25 teen skaters inside when the wind virtually torn apart the building. The roof was torn off and the walls collapsed, trapping the youngsters inside. Praise God that none of the youngsters were seriously injured. Unfortunately, the roller rink was never used again. They cleaned up the lot and apparently something else is there according to Google Map. The other building next door was demolished and made way for a new outdoors stadium. The gas station in the corner long since closed and now its a different automobile garage. Then there was a building.. actually two buildings on a different corner were demolished. It made way into a discount small chain grocery store. But they too went out of business toward end of 2010s to become Dollar Tree and O'Reilly Auto Parts Store.
The more sad note was that the Petrosky Hotel was seriously damaged. The two men in that hotel were deceased, Mr. William Petrosky (owner and operator) and Mr. Robert Martin's dead bodies were found in the debris.
Because the website mentioned teen skaters when the storm hit the building that Saturday morning, was it scouts? Or was it figure skating or practice session? No one will know.
This page is dedicated first to those two victims of the storm and all survivors including the 25 teen skaters.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
N/A.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Renovations: None (never rebuilt).
Demolished: By "tornado" 9:50 AM, 03 August 1963. 25 skaters, few adults, no serious injuries and no fatalities at the rink.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Cinderblocks - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gabled or Segmental Arch (photos of damaged rink are not clear)
Acres: N/A.
Organ: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- January 1939 to Saturday 03 August 1963.
Broadway Rollerdome: January 1939 to N/A.
Broadway Roller Rink: N/A to Saturday 03 August 1963.
Reason for Closure: By "tornado" 9:50 AM, 03 August 1963. Did not rebuilt.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you. You can also use this form.
Sources:
Billboard - 13 January 1945 Issue, Page 46, 2nd column.
AP News - About roller skating in greater Pittsburgh including Broadway Roller Rink. PDF.
Glassport Development - Many resourceful information about the town, the Disaster of 1963, and more.
Facebook - Broadway Rollerdome postcard. More history found on that post.
Susan Miller Collection.
Worth to visit:
None.
Date of issue: 28 February 2022.
For office use only: 8.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.
Broadway Roller Rink was originally as Broadway Rollerdome had its start in January 1939 according to Billboard (13 January 1945 Issue, Page 46, 2nd column.)
Andrew Fasiska, the operator of Broadway Rollerdome operated for a number of years. I am not sure if he was the same owner until the destruction of Broadway Roller Rink in 1963.
The history of the rink itself had a company-sponsored employee Roller Hockey team first called as the "Glassport Bees" and later reorganized and named as the "Glassport Jets". The team operated over 19 years in practice and competition including at the Broadway Roller Rink.
The fateful day for the rink was at 9:50 AM on Saturday, 03 August, 1963. Merely 3 and half months before JFK Assassination in Dallas, Texas, the gust winds of up to 90 Miles Per Hour attacked several buildings in Glassport, Pennsylvania. Destroying several buildings including the U.S. Glass House (never worked again), Copperweld, the High School Stadium, and the Steel City Lumber Company. Sheets of corrugated steel were ripped from Copperweld and tossed far up the hill. The roof of the Reliance Hose Co. was dumped in the entrance way of Copperweld Office Building which had been severely damaged by flying debris. Copperweld's new 2 years old office building was built with the amount above $500,000.00 was "practically in shambles". The heaviest losses were in the casting department, the rolling mill, ground rod department, laboratory and the engineering departments. Gratefully, the mill was closed for the annual summer vacation or the loss of lives may have been heavy.
Glassport Memorial Stadium damages were estimated at $100,000.00. The steel bleachers were crushed like a sheet of paper and huge holes were punched in the concrete wall. Heavy steel floodlights were bent and twisted, one set of lights was flung over a car parked in front of the Roller Rink.
Broadway Roller Rink on Ohio Avenue had a group of 25 teen skaters inside when the wind virtually torn apart the building. The roof was torn off and the walls collapsed, trapping the youngsters inside. Praise God that none of the youngsters were seriously injured. Unfortunately, the roller rink was never used again. They cleaned up the lot and apparently something else is there according to Google Map. The other building next door was demolished and made way for a new outdoors stadium. The gas station in the corner long since closed and now its a different automobile garage. Then there was a building.. actually two buildings on a different corner were demolished. It made way into a discount small chain grocery store. But they too went out of business toward end of 2010s to become Dollar Tree and O'Reilly Auto Parts Store.
The more sad note was that the Petrosky Hotel was seriously damaged. The two men in that hotel were deceased, Mr. William Petrosky (owner and operator) and Mr. Robert Martin's dead bodies were found in the debris.
Because the website mentioned teen skaters when the storm hit the building that Saturday morning, was it scouts? Or was it figure skating or practice session? No one will know.
This page is dedicated first to those two victims of the storm and all survivors including the 25 teen skaters.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
N/A.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Renovations: None (never rebuilt).
Demolished: By "tornado" 9:50 AM, 03 August 1963. 25 skaters, few adults, no serious injuries and no fatalities at the rink.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Cinderblocks - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gabled or Segmental Arch (photos of damaged rink are not clear)
Acres: N/A.
Organ: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- January 1939 to Saturday 03 August 1963.
Broadway Rollerdome: January 1939 to N/A.
Broadway Roller Rink: N/A to Saturday 03 August 1963.
Reason for Closure: By "tornado" 9:50 AM, 03 August 1963. Did not rebuilt.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you. You can also use this form.
Sources:
Billboard - 13 January 1945 Issue, Page 46, 2nd column.
AP News - About roller skating in greater Pittsburgh including Broadway Roller Rink. PDF.
Glassport Development - Many resourceful information about the town, the Disaster of 1963, and more.
Facebook - Broadway Rollerdome postcard. More history found on that post.
Susan Miller Collection.
Worth to visit:
None.
Date of issue: 28 February 2022.
For office use only: 8.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.