Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. The workers posed for a photoshoot when they were working on this building. Look at how a person wrote on the picture. Backward "N". Dyslexic? Perhaps. Source: Sherwood, Ohio local government.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. This photo showed it was almost completed built. Windows were not yet installed. Watch for the front wall differences with next photo. I love that front look above! Whoever changed should be fired. Source: Sherwood, Ohio local government.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. The front of the building. They replaced the front with this Gable Roof canopy. I was like, no no no! Why did they got rid of that part? If it was naturally collapsed, then they could have repaired it to make it look the same. Now its not. It is like putting a Pinto grille on a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado. Yes, many of those trees were cut down. Only that the pine tree and bushes were growing Source: Sherwood, Ohio local government.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. The side view almost the same position as the antique photos. Yes, many of those trees were cut down. Only that the pine tree and bushes were growing Source: Sherwood, Ohio local government.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. The glass doors with glass design on it. Source: Sherwood, Ohio local government.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. The front door from inside. Apparently that part is a new addition around 1970s-80s. Source: Sherwood, Ohio local government.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. You can see the still there the roller rink lines. It is a small rink. Source: Sherwood, Ohio local government.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. The Stage. Source: Sherwood, Ohio local government.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. The patch. Source: eBay.
Sherwood Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. The announcement that the rink is closed for good because nothing else came after that. Source: The Defiance Crescent - Friday, 12 October 1956.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio. Advertisement. Source: The Defiance Crescent - Thursday, 28 May 1936.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio
Sherwood Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio (Actual name)
Sherwood Roller Rink Sherwood, Ohio (Actual name)
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink was actually Sherwood Roller Rink at a park called Crystal Fountain Park in an auditorium in Sherwood, Ohio.
In the 1880s, Thomas Wentworth brought spiritualism to the Hicksville area and organized a camp on his farm. It attracted many people even from quite a distance. They said for August 1896, 12,000 people attended one of the week-long gatherings. It was quite popular retreats.
So, the Spiritualists bought a property where the park is present day. They set up in an area south of Sherwood. A few years later, while searching for natural gas, workers discovered white sulfur water instead. The association built Crystal Fountain (hence the name of the place) and a sanatorium to take advantage of the white sulfur fountain's supposed healing assets. They conducted summer camps which drew large crowds from far and wide to bathe in the sulfur water. This activity was popular at the time (late 1700s to early 1900s.)
The rink was not exist till later after they built the auditorium in 1911. But before that, when they had a town meeting, the town agreed to buy 32 acres of land and organize the Northwestern Camp and Picnic Association. People bought stock to purchase the land and the Crystal Fountain Spiritualist Camp was started. The town population had about 20 to 25 percent of people who were Spiritualists because of their discovery of Sulfur water brought excellent healing according to them. Other people were hoping to discover oil but there were no oil nor natural gas but only sulfur water. This is how it began to have tents, baths, and other spiritual needs. The official name of that place is Crystal Fountain Auditorium.
In 1907, the first service was held in a bandstand with tents set up for the summer campers. Then the Auditorium was built in about 1911. At first, it had a dirt floor and by golly, chickens would wander in during the services. The names of people who donated $1 are engraved on the blocks of the building when you visit there.
The Spiritualists then built a bath house and a hotel for those who couldn't find space at the crowded campgrounds. They built pipes to connect to the hotel and later, a swimming pool filled with sulfur water.
It must be around 1920s or 1930s, they built a hardwood floor in the Auditorium, in matter of fact that four hardwood floors level at various times, one on top of the other were built. One aged, they built new one on top of the older. It goes on and on.
This floor is still in excellent condition. At one time there was ballroom dancing in the Auditorium every Thursday evening with a live band supplying the music.
The Spiritualists purchased the camp from the Northwestern Camp and Picnic Association in 1932. It was visited by people from all over the United States and from foreign countries.
Later the Auditorium was used as a roller skating rink, likely in 1950 according to the Sherwood, Ohio newspapers, The Chronicle newspaper, in which their advertisement showing they were open on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday Nights.
The operators were Mr. and Mrs. Gib Riblet who were also managers of the Sherwood Roller Rink at Crystal Fountain Park.
The rink last heard in the newspapers were in 1956. The opening and closing does not mean in 1950 and 1956 respectively. It could mean around there but were first mentioned in 1950 and last mentioned in 1956. So, its a ball park when they were operated. For now it is 1950 to 1956.
This 23.3 acres of land today has walking trails, Frisbee golf and outdoor archery range. And I am sure they still have spiritual needs there. It is a public park today and you are able to go about there. I could not find the official website for this park. But you can check with the town and find out more about it and go there. You can even rent this building which is still standing although no longer a roller rink. It ended a few years after the end of World War II. Say, 1948-1950 that they closed. They must have operated in late 1930s till they closed. Maybe 10 to 15 years of operating a rink.
UPDATE! -- 27 June 2022.
I received an email from an author who is working on a book about Spiritualist camps around the country and she even said in one of the emails that there were several Spiritualist camps having roller rinks. Now I have to try to find them! I think this is only one so far I have on Dead-Rinks. I also have updated the summery above this paragraph to correct the timeline.
Well, here is what she has to say --
I have found a few [tidbits] that appeared in The Chronicle newspaper from Sherwood.
1950: There was an ad that read: Sherwood Roller Rink Open Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday Nights
1950: A home economics class held a benefit there.
1953: The Sophomore class held a party at the rink
1954: The little league had dinner and skated at the rink
1955: A Polio benefit was held [at the rink].
12 January 1956: Mr. and Mrs. Gib Riblet are managers of the Sherwood Roller Rink at Crystal Fountain Park.
The spiritualists were also still meeting at the camp in 1956. They must have been leasing out the rink.
There was nothing about the rink before 1950. After 1956 there is also nothing, but I don't know if it closed or if the site doesn't have the newspapers after that time.
UPDATE! -- 19 July 2022.
This is an update from the same person who wrote me a month before this and wanted to add..
This was in a booklet: Spiritualism in Sherwood, Ohio, Friends of Sherwood Library by Kathy Snow
Skating Rink.
"It was about the time of 1931 or '32 that roller skating is allowed on the hardwood floor of the auditorium as an off-season activity for the camp. This will help to bring in money to support the upkeep of the campgrounds. The auditorium floor has been replaced a couple of times since its first pinewood floor was installed. This becomes known as the first skating rink in Defiance County. People come from around the county, and outside as well, to take part in the activity. Skating continues for the next 15-20 years with a new hardwood floor put in every 3-4 years. Calvin Renollet ran the roller rink the last 8-10 years for a total 15-20 years of operation."
Wow, thank you Susan! This really helps a lot.
I see they replace the floor so often. With pine, it is too soft. It has a MAR of 380 which is quite soft compared to Maple hardwood at 1450. True, the scale I showed in link says furniture however, it is exactly the same as it is for the floor. Pine would wobble as you skate on. Their attempt to make a floatation would not be successful with Pine. It would be different. See here.
The Interior.
It had originally all dirt floor inside but that was not a rink yet. Then they added hardwood Maple floor installed. Then they added each level when they needed to replace the original which is still under those newer floors! The current one is 4th level up. That would be a good 8 inches thick! Will they get new one someday and add on top of that? I do not know but that would lose the height needed inisde for head clearance.
It is all straight layout. The skating rink lines are still there in the current floor although no skating. They do have a small stage though. The space is small. They include a small kitchen as well.
The Exterior.
It is all brick built unique looking building. It is beautiul architecture for its time. Still look good today. The area surrounding is all park. Trees, grass in more than 23 acres of land.
The Stats:
Original Rink Size: 4800 SF. (Appeared small) Original Floor: Non-painted Pinewood.
Floor Layout: Straight.
Rink Size: 4800 SF. (Appeared small) Floor: Non-painted Hardwood Maple. (layered)
Floor Layout: Straight.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1911. Renovations: Several times. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Stone-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- 1930 to 1937? and c.1950 to 12 October 1956.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink: 1930 to 1937?
Sherwood Roller Rink: c. 1950 to Friday, 12 October 1956
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink: Likely Spiritualist Movement waned.
Sherwood Roller Rink: N/A.
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. STILL need to know more! And old photographs of people skating.
Sources:
Crystal Fountain Park. Check it out and reserve for a party there today!
Email - SUL (a book author).
The Defiance Crescent - Thursday, 28 May 1936.
The Defiance Crescent - Friday, 12 October 1956.
The Crescent News - 03 December 2014 - Historians worked on the park.
Note! I wrote this on 13 of August 2021 and I thought I completed this one with more information but when someone emailed me questions about this one and I reviewed and I noticed I am missing more sources. I had a few sources. However, when I got to this, it was raw page today as of 26 June 2022. That is almost a year after I made it and for instance, the raw I am talking about is just one source. I knew there were a few. And that is how I got information from. Now when I researched, using Google, it was missing. Gone. I noticed photographs I have here from those sources are gone. Good thing I have it. Also I always use blue fonts since the beginning of 2021 on the names of rinks I have worked on. Before that, it was all black and those profiles before 2021 are being updated when a skater, owner, or a staff have skated or worked there tells me then I add their comments and update the page. I apologize I could not understand why some sources are missing. And I found a photograph did not belong in here and it has corrected. I remember I put the right rink photo on. Now it is. I have researched all afternoon and evening tonight for more information but they are missing! But all the information I got above are from sources I found on the net. I used to have DuckGoGo but it did not work on my laptop anymore if I have Google or Edge. I do not have DGG and Edge anymore. Just Google Chrome. I think I got sources through those other searches than Chrome. It is true Chrome DO limits freedom of information. That is wrong.
Anyone who has information about this park and rink, please let me know and if anyone has a photo of the rink inside, please by all means email me and I will post it as additional. And if you have any sources, please send me links and I will try to connect them again to this page. Thank you for understanding. And thank you for stopping by Dead-Rinks for you to enjoy.
Date of issue: 13 August 2021.
Updated: 26 June 2022.
Updated: 27 June 2022.
Updated: 29 June 2022.
Updated: 19 July 2022.
For office use only: 10. (Updated: 29 June 2022).
Worth to visit:
Crystal Fountain Park. You can when you reserved or attend an event there. Check it out.
DISCLAIMER:
Dead-Rinks and Mark Falso are not responsible for your physical and legal injuries you may have caused. Please always obey laws and regulations and property owner's signs. Some states allow purple paint on fence which means they even have guns on their property and have rights to shoot you. Please DO NOT attempt to enter property without permission!
For abandoned rinks, after you receive permission, do WEAR safety OSHA equipment including a safety glasses, pair of safety gloves, an orange vest or a jacket, and a construction helmet.
Thank you for understanding.
Second of all: The contents including words and photos above on this page and/or on any pages are purely educational entertainment purposes only. I provide what information from other websites, skaters, and operators and it may end up with different results between two (or more) sources. It is not our responsible for errors we caused. All sources are shown on each page. All opinions and statements of mine are also stated and are for purely educational entertainment only.
Rinks that are closed are considered dead. Rinks that are/were sold and with new management names new name(s), the former are considered dead. Previous operating rink that closed but came back years later, are considered dead because the reopening is considered rebooted, nothing to do with the former.
As for “For Office Only” is for my reasoning and private legal reason for that.
All photos you submitted or we retrieved becomes property of Dead-Rinks and are watermarked but they are credited to you (or where the source is from). Thank you for understanding. To understand more about this, please go to this page: Dead-Rinks List.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 to 16. Deut. 32:7.
In the 1880s, Thomas Wentworth brought spiritualism to the Hicksville area and organized a camp on his farm. It attracted many people even from quite a distance. They said for August 1896, 12,000 people attended one of the week-long gatherings. It was quite popular retreats.
So, the Spiritualists bought a property where the park is present day. They set up in an area south of Sherwood. A few years later, while searching for natural gas, workers discovered white sulfur water instead. The association built Crystal Fountain (hence the name of the place) and a sanatorium to take advantage of the white sulfur fountain's supposed healing assets. They conducted summer camps which drew large crowds from far and wide to bathe in the sulfur water. This activity was popular at the time (late 1700s to early 1900s.)
The rink was not exist till later after they built the auditorium in 1911. But before that, when they had a town meeting, the town agreed to buy 32 acres of land and organize the Northwestern Camp and Picnic Association. People bought stock to purchase the land and the Crystal Fountain Spiritualist Camp was started. The town population had about 20 to 25 percent of people who were Spiritualists because of their discovery of Sulfur water brought excellent healing according to them. Other people were hoping to discover oil but there were no oil nor natural gas but only sulfur water. This is how it began to have tents, baths, and other spiritual needs. The official name of that place is Crystal Fountain Auditorium.
In 1907, the first service was held in a bandstand with tents set up for the summer campers. Then the Auditorium was built in about 1911. At first, it had a dirt floor and by golly, chickens would wander in during the services. The names of people who donated $1 are engraved on the blocks of the building when you visit there.
The Spiritualists then built a bath house and a hotel for those who couldn't find space at the crowded campgrounds. They built pipes to connect to the hotel and later, a swimming pool filled with sulfur water.
It must be around 1920s or 1930s, they built a hardwood floor in the Auditorium, in matter of fact that four hardwood floors level at various times, one on top of the other were built. One aged, they built new one on top of the older. It goes on and on.
This floor is still in excellent condition. At one time there was ballroom dancing in the Auditorium every Thursday evening with a live band supplying the music.
The Spiritualists purchased the camp from the Northwestern Camp and Picnic Association in 1932. It was visited by people from all over the United States and from foreign countries.
Later the Auditorium was used as a roller skating rink, likely in 1950 according to the Sherwood, Ohio newspapers, The Chronicle newspaper, in which their advertisement showing they were open on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday Nights.
The operators were Mr. and Mrs. Gib Riblet who were also managers of the Sherwood Roller Rink at Crystal Fountain Park.
The rink last heard in the newspapers were in 1956. The opening and closing does not mean in 1950 and 1956 respectively. It could mean around there but were first mentioned in 1950 and last mentioned in 1956. So, its a ball park when they were operated. For now it is 1950 to 1956.
This 23.3 acres of land today has walking trails, Frisbee golf and outdoor archery range. And I am sure they still have spiritual needs there. It is a public park today and you are able to go about there. I could not find the official website for this park. But you can check with the town and find out more about it and go there. You can even rent this building which is still standing although no longer a roller rink. It ended a few years after the end of World War II. Say, 1948-1950 that they closed. They must have operated in late 1930s till they closed. Maybe 10 to 15 years of operating a rink.
UPDATE! -- 27 June 2022.
I received an email from an author who is working on a book about Spiritualist camps around the country and she even said in one of the emails that there were several Spiritualist camps having roller rinks. Now I have to try to find them! I think this is only one so far I have on Dead-Rinks. I also have updated the summery above this paragraph to correct the timeline.
Well, here is what she has to say --
I have found a few [tidbits] that appeared in The Chronicle newspaper from Sherwood.
1950: There was an ad that read: Sherwood Roller Rink Open Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday Nights
1950: A home economics class held a benefit there.
1953: The Sophomore class held a party at the rink
1954: The little league had dinner and skated at the rink
1955: A Polio benefit was held [at the rink].
12 January 1956: Mr. and Mrs. Gib Riblet are managers of the Sherwood Roller Rink at Crystal Fountain Park.
The spiritualists were also still meeting at the camp in 1956. They must have been leasing out the rink.
There was nothing about the rink before 1950. After 1956 there is also nothing, but I don't know if it closed or if the site doesn't have the newspapers after that time.
UPDATE! -- 19 July 2022.
This is an update from the same person who wrote me a month before this and wanted to add..
This was in a booklet: Spiritualism in Sherwood, Ohio, Friends of Sherwood Library by Kathy Snow
Skating Rink.
"It was about the time of 1931 or '32 that roller skating is allowed on the hardwood floor of the auditorium as an off-season activity for the camp. This will help to bring in money to support the upkeep of the campgrounds. The auditorium floor has been replaced a couple of times since its first pinewood floor was installed. This becomes known as the first skating rink in Defiance County. People come from around the county, and outside as well, to take part in the activity. Skating continues for the next 15-20 years with a new hardwood floor put in every 3-4 years. Calvin Renollet ran the roller rink the last 8-10 years for a total 15-20 years of operation."
Wow, thank you Susan! This really helps a lot.
I see they replace the floor so often. With pine, it is too soft. It has a MAR of 380 which is quite soft compared to Maple hardwood at 1450. True, the scale I showed in link says furniture however, it is exactly the same as it is for the floor. Pine would wobble as you skate on. Their attempt to make a floatation would not be successful with Pine. It would be different. See here.
The Interior.
It had originally all dirt floor inside but that was not a rink yet. Then they added hardwood Maple floor installed. Then they added each level when they needed to replace the original which is still under those newer floors! The current one is 4th level up. That would be a good 8 inches thick! Will they get new one someday and add on top of that? I do not know but that would lose the height needed inisde for head clearance.
It is all straight layout. The skating rink lines are still there in the current floor although no skating. They do have a small stage though. The space is small. They include a small kitchen as well.
The Exterior.
It is all brick built unique looking building. It is beautiul architecture for its time. Still look good today. The area surrounding is all park. Trees, grass in more than 23 acres of land.
The Stats:
Original Rink Size: 4800 SF. (Appeared small) Original Floor: Non-painted Pinewood.
Floor Layout: Straight.
Rink Size: 4800 SF. (Appeared small) Floor: Non-painted Hardwood Maple. (layered)
Floor Layout: Straight.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1911. Renovations: Several times. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Stone-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- 1930 to 1937? and c.1950 to 12 October 1956.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink: 1930 to 1937?
Sherwood Roller Rink: c. 1950 to Friday, 12 October 1956
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Crystal Fountain Park Roller Rink: Likely Spiritualist Movement waned.
Sherwood Roller Rink: N/A.
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. STILL need to know more! And old photographs of people skating.
Sources:
Crystal Fountain Park. Check it out and reserve for a party there today!
Email - SUL (a book author).
The Defiance Crescent - Thursday, 28 May 1936.
The Defiance Crescent - Friday, 12 October 1956.
The Crescent News - 03 December 2014 - Historians worked on the park.
Note! I wrote this on 13 of August 2021 and I thought I completed this one with more information but when someone emailed me questions about this one and I reviewed and I noticed I am missing more sources. I had a few sources. However, when I got to this, it was raw page today as of 26 June 2022. That is almost a year after I made it and for instance, the raw I am talking about is just one source. I knew there were a few. And that is how I got information from. Now when I researched, using Google, it was missing. Gone. I noticed photographs I have here from those sources are gone. Good thing I have it. Also I always use blue fonts since the beginning of 2021 on the names of rinks I have worked on. Before that, it was all black and those profiles before 2021 are being updated when a skater, owner, or a staff have skated or worked there tells me then I add their comments and update the page. I apologize I could not understand why some sources are missing. And I found a photograph did not belong in here and it has corrected. I remember I put the right rink photo on. Now it is. I have researched all afternoon and evening tonight for more information but they are missing! But all the information I got above are from sources I found on the net. I used to have DuckGoGo but it did not work on my laptop anymore if I have Google or Edge. I do not have DGG and Edge anymore. Just Google Chrome. I think I got sources through those other searches than Chrome. It is true Chrome DO limits freedom of information. That is wrong.
Anyone who has information about this park and rink, please let me know and if anyone has a photo of the rink inside, please by all means email me and I will post it as additional. And if you have any sources, please send me links and I will try to connect them again to this page. Thank you for understanding. And thank you for stopping by Dead-Rinks for you to enjoy.
Date of issue: 13 August 2021.
Updated: 26 June 2022.
Updated: 27 June 2022.
Updated: 29 June 2022.
Updated: 19 July 2022.
For office use only: 10. (Updated: 29 June 2022).
Worth to visit:
Crystal Fountain Park. You can when you reserved or attend an event there. Check it out.
DISCLAIMER:
Dead-Rinks and Mark Falso are not responsible for your physical and legal injuries you may have caused. Please always obey laws and regulations and property owner's signs. Some states allow purple paint on fence which means they even have guns on their property and have rights to shoot you. Please DO NOT attempt to enter property without permission!
For abandoned rinks, after you receive permission, do WEAR safety OSHA equipment including a safety glasses, pair of safety gloves, an orange vest or a jacket, and a construction helmet.
Thank you for understanding.
Second of all: The contents including words and photos above on this page and/or on any pages are purely educational entertainment purposes only. I provide what information from other websites, skaters, and operators and it may end up with different results between two (or more) sources. It is not our responsible for errors we caused. All sources are shown on each page. All opinions and statements of mine are also stated and are for purely educational entertainment only.
Rinks that are closed are considered dead. Rinks that are/were sold and with new management names new name(s), the former are considered dead. Previous operating rink that closed but came back years later, are considered dead because the reopening is considered rebooted, nothing to do with the former.
As for “For Office Only” is for my reasoning and private legal reason for that.
All photos you submitted or we retrieved becomes property of Dead-Rinks and are watermarked but they are credited to you (or where the source is from). Thank you for understanding. To understand more about this, please go to this page: Dead-Rinks List.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 to 16. Deut. 32:7.
