Photos courtesy of Congressional RSR Facebook Fan page. Noticed the bottom photo showed the actual building number as 140. It is matched to the yellow cover of a skating program booklet with the address as 140 Bouic Ave. Not the Rockville Pike. The Rockville Pike may have showed up later. Google Map and you will see the difference. There are bunch of hotels and right by is the Congressional Plaza. Go check out cross the street from the former rink site that hotel changed hands between 2007 and 2019 quite a bit and appearances as well by going on Google Map. Bizapedia did state 240 Rockville Pike though.
Courtesy of Abandoned Airfields website. This was the Congressional Airport back the day as this photo was taken. Can you find the lone hanger? That one became the skating rink. This airport was a grass field landing strip airport. It had two different directions of landing. One was lined to the photographer in the air, the other was from left to right about 300 degrees considering zero/300 degrees points to East. Photo taken on August 21, 1934.
Photo from newspaper, courtesy of Mike M. Ahlers. Taken on January 4, 1984.
Photo courtesy of Abandoned Airfields website. Noticed in this photo compared to other one. Mr. Hyde who owned the airfield had to change because of residents complained and the changing times. You can see the reversed upside down "L" plaza was already opened in this December 14, 1959 photo because of many cars parked there to shop. Long before the Amazon craze. You will find Congressional Rink in the photo. Not clearly but it is there. It was already a roller rink there. Today to compare the location, I snapshot Google to find where it was. Name that hotel.. Photo below is Google Map.
Google Map. Likely location of where Congressional Roller Skating Rink was located. Also was the Congressional Airport Hanger.
Congressional Roller Skating Rink 240 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD
Congressional Roller Skating Rink 140 Bouic Ave, Rockville, MD (actual)
Um, no, its did not belong to the U.S. Congress. It was just a name of a rink which apparently was in Maryland, near Washington, DC. So, perhaps the owner(s) thought of that name.
First the building was built as part of the Congressional Airport. It was built before regulations including licensing to airports in Maryland. The hanger was built in 1940s as they were expanding the airport that was built and opened in 1928. But by 1949, the trend of Post-World War Two flying slowed down clearly hurt the airport financially. So, they slowly dismantled by the City taking over part and main airport as other areas turned into apartments and housing area as well as they had a new shopping plaza under new owners.
The main Congressional Airport Hanger became roller rink in 1956. It ran till 1983 when roller skating popularity was sinking. From one fad to another and both met their fate when they had downtown.
They were established in 1956 however, according to Bizapedia, the couple who started the rink registered in March 21, 1957, merely about a year later.
It was a long Gambrel style free-standing structure designed as a hanger became a roller rink. It had Maple wood floor with Log-Cabin style layout. It was popular among people in figure skating, roller dances, and was part of competition among other rinks. Originally as you can see the photo of the hanger before it became a rink was a shelter for small personal planes and for pilot training school. The hanger was then built to be permanently sheltered for the rink. This is why they had a lot of windows to let light in. Perhaps they want the ambiance of skating in a hanger as a theme.
The building was Light Grey colored and simple in its appearance back the day. Originally it had "Congressional Airport" on its roof for flyers and pilots can see that is the airport to fly in or landmark it. When it became rink, It was re-painted entirely as "Congressional Rink" in thinner font than the airport had on the roof.
Unfortunately the owner wanted to change by developing into a hotel and restaurant. Right in the same neighborhood new homes, new shopping plaza (Congressional Plaza which kept that name of the airport and the rink) and apartment complex. All modern so the rink building was aged fast with new developments surrounding so it was sad that the owner did not preserve the business by rebuilding the rink building into a modern building. Instead, January 1984 it was demolished.
I would appreciate any color photos or better photos of the place in more newer times before it as demolished. I see much older photos.
There is a great website here: Abandoned Airfields (click the link) and you roll down half way and you will see about Congressional Airport. Awesome sight from the plane seeing the hanger where the rink was. Can you find it? If you do, congratulations!
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple Floor Layout: Log Cabin
Building Size: N/A Built: 1940s (as airport hanger)
Demolished: January 3, 1984. Now a 120 room hotel and restaurant.
Type of Building: Free Span hanger Building converted to a rink.
Roof: Gambrel.
Acres: 300 plus Acres (part of the airport)
Operated: 1956 to May 1983.
(Airport was from 1928 to 1954)
Reason for Closure: Lost lease. Owner of the building wanted to develop into a 120 room hotel and restaurant to keep up with trendy neighborhood.
Wanted: Information regarding any color photos of exterior and interior without people. Exact dates of opening and closing.
Sources: Facebook, Bizapedia, Pinterest, Congressional Airport (In Wikipedia), FRRP,
Abandoned Airfields,
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.