Coliseum Roller Rink 412 Chesapeake Av, Davis Island, Tampa, Florida. An auto show was happening at the rink. Source: FRRP.
Coliseum Roller Rink 412 Chesapeake Av, Davis Island, Tampa, Florida. An auto show was happening at the rink. Source: FRRP.
Coliseum Roller Rink 412 Chesapeake Av, Davis Island, Tampa, Florida. An auto show was happening at the rink. Source: FRRP.
Coliseum Roller Rink 412 Chesapeake Av, Davis Island, Tampa, Florida. An auto show was happening at the rink. Source: Tbo.com.
Coliseum Roller Rink 412 Chesapeake Av, Davis Island, Tampa, Florida
This rink has that classic early 20th Century skating rink appearance. This rink was designed with ground to ground arch roof with steel beam arched for support. The floor apparently, of course, wood floor. It was not just a skating rink. It was designed as ballroom because of the stage. A dance hall normally have a stage for the orchestra to play music. Likely they also had orchestra played at the roller rink which was a rarity. It was possible not sure because not enough information. The Davis Island Civic Association has a link still on there but has an error on their page. Apparently maybe removed or that site is down. They had an explanation regarding the rink on their website.
The stage was also perhaps for plays, drama, speeches, presentations, awards, etc. Perhaps they also used the facility as community use to provide community events. Maybe even trade shows by the look of it. This facility reminds me... sort of an aircraft hanger but the facility is like the ongoing Center of Progress at the NYS Fairgrounds with the arch. It was common (See History of Skate Rink Architecture page). You can click here.
It was at the same location where Tampa International Automobile Show was held at.
My assessment is correct when reading the Tampa Tribune newspaper article of Monday September 7, 1936. It was a social club night after all every Thursday while entertainment was every Tuesday nights which perhaps included the dances. They were planning at the time to add roller hockey, basketball, etc. It was plainly an entertainment center or amusement center of its day sharing same floor. However, roller hockey did not start till 1939.
Roller skating was from 1925 to 1957 and it gave away to bowling lanes and then sometimes shortly later, a night club. However, they had a fire that shuttered the facility in 1967.
The exterior was apparently grand since it had that quite an architectural design with towers. it looked more like a church front with Spanish theme. Apparently it was proper theme for Florida that Spanish look is common still to this day.
The facility apparently look large and large rink by the look of the photos. Wall to wall rink which was common of its day. They had no guard rails! It was practically all open. Rinks did not set up till around 1950s to have rails.
Roller hockey teams had t-shirts that were printed on in 1930s! This should debunk the "Time Traveler at the Bridge Opening" photo of 1939 because he had the look of the t-shirt or sweatshirt. Anyway, they were sponsored by Pepsi and the women had two teams so they had sponsors of two companies-Henderson's Sporting Goods and Jack's Cookies. They competed at the Coliseum. Apparently roller hockey was big at the time that year at the rink because they had three teams coming from same rink, not from other rinks. However, they folded in a year. They apparently kept changing business plan with this facility.
When they night club opened and was in business, this sort of inviting for trouble. The Vandals may have caused a fire at the beloved Coliseum that burned down. Whatever the reason why they burned down, we all do not know.
Today, where the rink was is now apartment complexes. The building was near a main street called E. Davis Road where all commercial buildings are. It was practically right by it.
There is a very good pop art by Frank Hunter, a painter who painted the Coliseum and from what I see in the painting (see painting), he painted from the actual building at 2 Biscayne Ave if you were going to use Google Map, it shows same posts of this bar/restaurant at the location. Get to the street level and find that bar, then turn and you will see an Apartment complex and another cross the street from it. That was where the Coliseum was located in that position. Apparently the painter may have painted from that restaurant. Maybe. Maybe not.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: c. 1925 Demolished: 1967 - Fire..
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Trusses D-Roof Arena-style building.
Roof: D-roof style.
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1925 to 1957
Converted to bowling then night club.
Building burned down 1967. Now Apartment complexes, a gas station.
Reason for Closure: Converted to bowling then night club.
Building burned down 1967.
Wanted: Information regarding photos of interior, exterior at the time.
Sources:
The Tampa Times - Feb. 9, 1945.
The Tampa Tribune - Jan 28, 1996.
The Tampa Sunday Tribune - Oct 6, 1957.
Fine Art America - Frank Hunter.
Date of Issue: 2019. Updated: 04 December 2021.
For Office Only: 4.
© Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3, and 16.
This rink has that classic early 20th Century skating rink appearance. This rink was designed with ground to ground arch roof with steel beam arched for support. The floor apparently, of course, wood floor. It was not just a skating rink. It was designed as ballroom because of the stage. A dance hall normally have a stage for the orchestra to play music. Likely they also had orchestra played at the roller rink which was a rarity. It was possible not sure because not enough information. The Davis Island Civic Association has a link still on there but has an error on their page. Apparently maybe removed or that site is down. They had an explanation regarding the rink on their website.
The stage was also perhaps for plays, drama, speeches, presentations, awards, etc. Perhaps they also used the facility as community use to provide community events. Maybe even trade shows by the look of it. This facility reminds me... sort of an aircraft hanger but the facility is like the ongoing Center of Progress at the NYS Fairgrounds with the arch. It was common (See History of Skate Rink Architecture page). You can click here.
It was at the same location where Tampa International Automobile Show was held at.
My assessment is correct when reading the Tampa Tribune newspaper article of Monday September 7, 1936. It was a social club night after all every Thursday while entertainment was every Tuesday nights which perhaps included the dances. They were planning at the time to add roller hockey, basketball, etc. It was plainly an entertainment center or amusement center of its day sharing same floor. However, roller hockey did not start till 1939.
Roller skating was from 1925 to 1957 and it gave away to bowling lanes and then sometimes shortly later, a night club. However, they had a fire that shuttered the facility in 1967.
The exterior was apparently grand since it had that quite an architectural design with towers. it looked more like a church front with Spanish theme. Apparently it was proper theme for Florida that Spanish look is common still to this day.
The facility apparently look large and large rink by the look of the photos. Wall to wall rink which was common of its day. They had no guard rails! It was practically all open. Rinks did not set up till around 1950s to have rails.
Roller hockey teams had t-shirts that were printed on in 1930s! This should debunk the "Time Traveler at the Bridge Opening" photo of 1939 because he had the look of the t-shirt or sweatshirt. Anyway, they were sponsored by Pepsi and the women had two teams so they had sponsors of two companies-Henderson's Sporting Goods and Jack's Cookies. They competed at the Coliseum. Apparently roller hockey was big at the time that year at the rink because they had three teams coming from same rink, not from other rinks. However, they folded in a year. They apparently kept changing business plan with this facility.
When they night club opened and was in business, this sort of inviting for trouble. The Vandals may have caused a fire at the beloved Coliseum that burned down. Whatever the reason why they burned down, we all do not know.
Today, where the rink was is now apartment complexes. The building was near a main street called E. Davis Road where all commercial buildings are. It was practically right by it.
There is a very good pop art by Frank Hunter, a painter who painted the Coliseum and from what I see in the painting (see painting), he painted from the actual building at 2 Biscayne Ave if you were going to use Google Map, it shows same posts of this bar/restaurant at the location. Get to the street level and find that bar, then turn and you will see an Apartment complex and another cross the street from it. That was where the Coliseum was located in that position. Apparently the painter may have painted from that restaurant. Maybe. Maybe not.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: c. 1925 Demolished: 1967 - Fire..
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Trusses D-Roof Arena-style building.
Roof: D-roof style.
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1925 to 1957
Converted to bowling then night club.
Building burned down 1967. Now Apartment complexes, a gas station.
Reason for Closure: Converted to bowling then night club.
Building burned down 1967.
Wanted: Information regarding photos of interior, exterior at the time.
Sources:
The Tampa Times - Feb. 9, 1945.
The Tampa Tribune - Jan 28, 1996.
The Tampa Sunday Tribune - Oct 6, 1957.
Fine Art America - Frank Hunter.
Date of Issue: 2019. Updated: 04 December 2021.
For Office Only: 4.
© Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3, and 16.