Cox Dance Pavilion 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. in 1910s. Very popular building that it might have been one of two main reasons for the new dance hall built. The other was the fire. Source: My Mid-Ohio website video still and several sources. Postcard remastered by Dead-Rinks (removed cracks and bends).
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Black and White photo of rink in Brown tint. Better picture because of trees not showing its leaves much. Must be late fall or early spring. Source: My Mid-Ohio website video still.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. A watercolor painting of the rink postcard, c. 1930s. Source: Pinterest.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. A political rally was one of many different events occurred at the Coliseum. I wonder who was the political candidate? Source: Pinterest.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. C. 1940s. A postcard of the rink. Source: Pinterest.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Around 1970s. Color photo of rink before 1967 fire. Source: My Mid-Ohio website video still.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Around 1970s. Likely was a newspaper article. Source: My Mid-Ohio website video still.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Old basic map made by an insurance man for insurance purposes. Note where the old Cox Dance Pavilion. It is south of the not named road, southwest of the roller coaster. That was the original location of the skating rink that was open during the summer only. Dancing in winter. Source: Richmond County History.
The Press --
Cox Dancing Pavilion 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. First fire destroyed completely the wooden structure. Dancing in winter. Source: My Mid-Ohio website video still. No name provided and date but appeared to be 1920.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Grand opening (replacing the fire destroyed Cox Dance Hall. Source: News Journal, Saturday August 20, 1921. Right, Source: News Journal, Friday September 1, 1922.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Grand opening (replacing Cox Dance Hall. Source: News Journal, Wednesday March 13, 1929.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. The Coliseum was closing to become Club Circus, another venue in the same building. Left- Source: News Journal, Monday, March 14, 1938. Right- Source: News Journal, Monday, November 17, 1952.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Photographs of the organist and owner/operator. Source: News Journal, Monday, August 10, 1953.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Advertisement. Source: News Journal, Tuesday, May 3, 1966.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Oh no, the fire! Not again! This time in 1967. And quite irony was that the fire fighters had to fight this fire rather than dancing with their wives, girlfriends, or the single ladies they would meet two days later. The firemen's ball. Sorry to read about that, heros! Source: Lancaster Eagle Gazette, Wednesday April 5, 1967.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Good times are coming to the rink. Harry Denis was happy a rebuilt would occur by seeing construction was happening. Source: News Journal, Saturday June 24, 1967.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Two kids cannot wait to skate found out the hard way, got to wait for it to open. Source: News Journal, Thursday August 17, 1967.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Grand opening announcing for the rink on December 8th.. but.. Source: News Journal, Thursday November 23, 1967
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. They had delays! They finally opened that night of December 27, in the middle of Christmas recess. A little over 8 months to get it opened. Source: News Journal, Thursday November 30, 1967.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. 20th anniversary of the new building. Source: News Journal, Sunday November 22, 1987. (All three above).
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Long time skater Rose Bower. Source: News Journal, Sunday November 22, 1987.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Happy new millennium skating. Source: News Journal, Sunday January 2, 2000.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Couple skating show. Source: News Journal, Thursday September 2, 2001.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Girl skating with Roo to stay in warm from cold and windy weather that day. Source: News Journal, Monday March 11, 2002.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. About skating and the rink. Source: News Journal, c. 2002
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. About skating and the rink. Part 2. Source: News Journal, c. 2002.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. About big massive fire burned the "fire-proof" building Source: News Journal, Tuesday June 3, 2005. (All 3 articles together).
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. Aerial view of the former rink. On left it was taken in 1959 and right, taken in 1972. Noticed big difference was that the wooden building had 3 tier arched roof. Noticed the swimming pool was redesigned, and enlarged as well. Also new pool house. The rink replaced the roller coaster (see Insurance map above the articles above.) Source: US Geographical Society. 1959 and 1972, respectively.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. On the left, 1981 and right, today. The pool was remodeled again. A bit smaller and the rink was still there in 1981 but for the 2021, it was all gone. For both. Both were the last of the Luna Park. It is all regular city park called, North Lake Park with trails and perhaps picnic areas. Source: US Geographical Society. 1981 and 2021, respectively.
Coliseum Roller Rink 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH. The park today. You can still see the ghost of the sidewalk to the rink is still there! Source: Google.
White Maple Dance Hall Luna Park, 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH
Cox Dancing Pavilion Luna Park, 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH
Coliseum Roller Rink North Lake Park 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH
Cox Dancing Pavilion Luna Park, 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH
Coliseum Roller Rink North Lake Park 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH
Cox Dancing Pavilion and Coliseum Roller Rink was twice the rink at 265 Park Drive, Mansfield, OH at North Lake Park. Originally it was Luna Park. The original rink was at the Cox Dancing Pavilion that was built c. 1912 but there was a fire burned down the dancing pavilion. One of many Luna Parks cross the country. It was a trolley park with much lights on at night time for their rides and buildings.
Way before the skating rink first opened in 1912, the Trolley park called Luna Park was formed and they had The Casino which was a theater and music hall built in 1893 and I am sure the figure-eight toboggan ride was built around at that time along with some rides and games as well as concessions between the Casino and the dance hall.
Mansfield Railway, Light & Power Company was the owner of the park and trolley company that brought people to this small lake/pond. They had 10,000 light blubs to lit at evening.
Before Rupert Cox built the Cox Dancing Pavilion where the skating rink was, it was White Maple Dance Hall built in 1904 and Rupert Cox replaced with Cox Dancing Pavilion. Perhaps to enlarge it.
Rupert Cox built the dancing hall and named after himself called Cox Dancing Pavilion. It was built in 1912. But there was a fire by some youth because of smoking in the dance/roller floor and it destroyed it. I saw a newspaper article regarding this but have no date but it was referring to that dance hall/roller rink. Likely it was burned down in the year 1920.
So, in 1921 Rupert rebuilt the building on where the roller coaster was or right by it since the original- Cox Dancing Pavilion was right next to it (see insurance map). Both the coaster and the pavilion were upon the hill. After the fire and rebuilt, the rink was on that same hill over where the roller coaster. You see many photographs and postcards verify this with both being the top of the world for that overseeing the hill down and the pond.
Luna Park went out of business but the rink and swimming pool remained then slowly faded away. Swimming pool is gone, rink burned down in 2005. Only remains left is aging concrete road as you can see in the aerial photo maps.
Rupert sold the Coliseum to someone else. Early Trolley parks like this one was fading.
In 1937, under new ownership, it was leased to Harry & Emma Dennis which later they became owners in 1952. But in the same year the Dennis couple faced a new problem- a small fire that occurred under the center of the rink. That counted as second fire. Seems you are not supposed to have repeated fires. But good thing this one was put out quickly for sure. Must be a cigarette that caused this fire. Must be someone threw under unaware it caused a fire, cigarettes were very popular in 20th century as a necessity to be a social elite. Anyway, cause was unknown.
But exactly 30 years later, in April 1967, there was a massive fire. Third one. This time, this was the second time it destroyed beautiful granular building that Rupert Cox built in 1921.
Like a cat with 9 lives, this rink returned again with a new rebuilt complete in December 1967 by reopening its doors to skate again.
By the year 2000, once again, new owners. This time it was Chuck & Heidi Wyrick Unfortunately, not again, fourth fire occurred but the third time the building burned down! Three buildings! Cox Dancing Pavilion from 1912 to 1920, then the beautiful Coliseum building from 1921 to 1967 and then the final warehouse-like building, 1967 to 2005. Third strike, you are out kind of feeling because it repeated burning down. Real sad. IF it was not burned down, for sure, likely the rink would survived today.
The 1912 built as Cox Dancing Pavilion --
The Interior.
It was all wood interior including the Maple wood floor. Likely it was Maple. And it was exposed to outdoor elements because they had storm doors open to air out during summer and closed it for winter season so people can skate and dance. They used during the summer for skating, dancing in winter. Likely they had columns posts all over the place.
The Exterior.
This place appeared to be like a summer trolley park building appearance that even state and federal parks have. Very common of its day. Likely the walls were White and maybe trims were Green? I do not know. But those colors were common.
It was very simple design.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Non painted, Maple floor Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1912. Demolished: 1921 by Fire.
Type of Building: Columns Support Wood Trusses Wood-Walled Park Pavilion - like Building.
Roof: Bonnett.
Acres: N/A.
The 1922 rebuilt, as Coliseum Roller Rink --
The Interior.
The interior was quite grand. All wood interior including floor, walls, and trusses. The trusses were quite unique in design with arches that are not like modern day arches. Likely they were all dark stained for columns/posts, and trusses. It also has ribs screens on each truss. The floor itself was Maple wood. Postcards are not enough but likely they were. But because of this place had major fire, then the next generation building had it concrete and metal. Similar to the story of the Three Pigs.
The Exterior.
The rebuilt was made into more granular and had early form of Art Deco but had a late period Art Nouveau appearance. Curved corners, curved roof. The photo showed it appeared something like out of a Star Wars movie that this style would be a Naboo style. It is an opinion. It was beautiful design and that could have kept this way for a long time.. But another fire destroyed this building.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Fire Wednesday April 5, 1967.
Type of Building: Free-Span Wood Trusses Wood-Walled Sculpture (Art Nouveau) - like Building.
Roof: Unique.
Acres: N/A.
The final rebuilt in 1967, as Coliseum Roller Rink --
The Interior.
I only could see black and white photos and I am not sure. Was the floor concrete this time?
The Exterior.
It was a standard or common Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building with Gable roof.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Likely Concrete Floor Layout: Standard.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1967. Demolished: Fire December 3, 2005
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)--
White Maple Dance Hall: 1904 to 1912.
Cox Dancing Pavilion: 1912 to 1920/21.
Coliseum Roller Rink: Friday, August 20, 1921 to Friday, April 3, 1936, December 27, 1967 to May 3, 2005.
Reason for Closure:
White Maple Dance Hall: Rupert replaced with Cox Dancing Pavilion.
Cox Dancing Pavilion: Destroyed by fire.
Coliseum Roller Rink: Original in 1967 by fire, closed but rebuilt. Closed final time, by fire, in 2005.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also More photos and articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
My Mid-Ohio - North Lake Park.
Richland County History - Luna Park.
Many ebay, pinterest showing postcards.
Date of issue: 15 July 2021.
For office use only:
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.
Way before the skating rink first opened in 1912, the Trolley park called Luna Park was formed and they had The Casino which was a theater and music hall built in 1893 and I am sure the figure-eight toboggan ride was built around at that time along with some rides and games as well as concessions between the Casino and the dance hall.
Mansfield Railway, Light & Power Company was the owner of the park and trolley company that brought people to this small lake/pond. They had 10,000 light blubs to lit at evening.
Before Rupert Cox built the Cox Dancing Pavilion where the skating rink was, it was White Maple Dance Hall built in 1904 and Rupert Cox replaced with Cox Dancing Pavilion. Perhaps to enlarge it.
Rupert Cox built the dancing hall and named after himself called Cox Dancing Pavilion. It was built in 1912. But there was a fire by some youth because of smoking in the dance/roller floor and it destroyed it. I saw a newspaper article regarding this but have no date but it was referring to that dance hall/roller rink. Likely it was burned down in the year 1920.
So, in 1921 Rupert rebuilt the building on where the roller coaster was or right by it since the original- Cox Dancing Pavilion was right next to it (see insurance map). Both the coaster and the pavilion were upon the hill. After the fire and rebuilt, the rink was on that same hill over where the roller coaster. You see many photographs and postcards verify this with both being the top of the world for that overseeing the hill down and the pond.
Luna Park went out of business but the rink and swimming pool remained then slowly faded away. Swimming pool is gone, rink burned down in 2005. Only remains left is aging concrete road as you can see in the aerial photo maps.
Rupert sold the Coliseum to someone else. Early Trolley parks like this one was fading.
In 1937, under new ownership, it was leased to Harry & Emma Dennis which later they became owners in 1952. But in the same year the Dennis couple faced a new problem- a small fire that occurred under the center of the rink. That counted as second fire. Seems you are not supposed to have repeated fires. But good thing this one was put out quickly for sure. Must be a cigarette that caused this fire. Must be someone threw under unaware it caused a fire, cigarettes were very popular in 20th century as a necessity to be a social elite. Anyway, cause was unknown.
But exactly 30 years later, in April 1967, there was a massive fire. Third one. This time, this was the second time it destroyed beautiful granular building that Rupert Cox built in 1921.
Like a cat with 9 lives, this rink returned again with a new rebuilt complete in December 1967 by reopening its doors to skate again.
By the year 2000, once again, new owners. This time it was Chuck & Heidi Wyrick Unfortunately, not again, fourth fire occurred but the third time the building burned down! Three buildings! Cox Dancing Pavilion from 1912 to 1920, then the beautiful Coliseum building from 1921 to 1967 and then the final warehouse-like building, 1967 to 2005. Third strike, you are out kind of feeling because it repeated burning down. Real sad. IF it was not burned down, for sure, likely the rink would survived today.
The 1912 built as Cox Dancing Pavilion --
The Interior.
It was all wood interior including the Maple wood floor. Likely it was Maple. And it was exposed to outdoor elements because they had storm doors open to air out during summer and closed it for winter season so people can skate and dance. They used during the summer for skating, dancing in winter. Likely they had columns posts all over the place.
The Exterior.
This place appeared to be like a summer trolley park building appearance that even state and federal parks have. Very common of its day. Likely the walls were White and maybe trims were Green? I do not know. But those colors were common.
It was very simple design.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Non painted, Maple floor Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1912. Demolished: 1921 by Fire.
Type of Building: Columns Support Wood Trusses Wood-Walled Park Pavilion - like Building.
Roof: Bonnett.
Acres: N/A.
The 1922 rebuilt, as Coliseum Roller Rink --
The Interior.
The interior was quite grand. All wood interior including floor, walls, and trusses. The trusses were quite unique in design with arches that are not like modern day arches. Likely they were all dark stained for columns/posts, and trusses. It also has ribs screens on each truss. The floor itself was Maple wood. Postcards are not enough but likely they were. But because of this place had major fire, then the next generation building had it concrete and metal. Similar to the story of the Three Pigs.
The Exterior.
The rebuilt was made into more granular and had early form of Art Deco but had a late period Art Nouveau appearance. Curved corners, curved roof. The photo showed it appeared something like out of a Star Wars movie that this style would be a Naboo style. It is an opinion. It was beautiful design and that could have kept this way for a long time.. But another fire destroyed this building.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Fire Wednesday April 5, 1967.
Type of Building: Free-Span Wood Trusses Wood-Walled Sculpture (Art Nouveau) - like Building.
Roof: Unique.
Acres: N/A.
The final rebuilt in 1967, as Coliseum Roller Rink --
The Interior.
I only could see black and white photos and I am not sure. Was the floor concrete this time?
The Exterior.
It was a standard or common Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building with Gable roof.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Likely Concrete Floor Layout: Standard.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1967. Demolished: Fire December 3, 2005
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)--
White Maple Dance Hall: 1904 to 1912.
Cox Dancing Pavilion: 1912 to 1920/21.
Coliseum Roller Rink: Friday, August 20, 1921 to Friday, April 3, 1936, December 27, 1967 to May 3, 2005.
Reason for Closure:
White Maple Dance Hall: Rupert replaced with Cox Dancing Pavilion.
Cox Dancing Pavilion: Destroyed by fire.
Coliseum Roller Rink: Original in 1967 by fire, closed but rebuilt. Closed final time, by fire, in 2005.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also More photos and articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
My Mid-Ohio - North Lake Park.
Richland County History - Luna Park.
Many ebay, pinterest showing postcards.
Date of issue: 15 July 2021.
For office use only:
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.