Starlight Arena 1810 US-40, Edgewood, MD. Craig on Starlight Arena group fan page on Facebook. The warehouse-like rink photo likely taken in few decades ago. Sky-Blue walls with 1950s style scriptive font in Curved line. Very 1950s feel. Source: Starlight Arena Facebook.
Starlight Arena 1810 US-40, Edgewood, MD. (or was it postcard) of Kidstuff.net. Bright and airy facility. Source: Starlite Arena Facebook.
Starlight Arena 1810 US-40, Edgewood, MD. Source: Ebay.
Starlight Arena 1810 US-40, Edgewood, MD. It was Starlight Arena as well as Edgewood Star-Lite rink which is now a plaza properly named as Starlite Plaza! Source: Google 2007.
Starlight Arena 1810 US-40, Edgewood, MD. It was Starlight Arena as well as Edgewood Star-Lite rink which is now a plaza properly named as Starlite Plaza! Source: Google 2012.
Starlight Arena 1810 US-40, Edgewood, MD. It was Starlight Arena as well as Edgewood Star-Lite rink which is now a plaza properly named as Starlite Plaza! Source: Google 2017.
Starlight Arena 1810 US-40, Edgewood, MD
Edgewood Star-Lite 1810 US-40, Edgewood, MD
Edgewood Star-Lite 1810 US-40, Edgewood, MD
This rink was mentioned only once on a history on Baltimore and Maryland and only a photograph but no other information I could find at all! I need more information! When did it open, close, what the building was like, anything! I found their Facebook group page and it explained in photos both pictures. However, nothing more than that.
The name Edgewood Star-Lite was also spelled as Edgewood Starlite. Both I searched, I get same results that there are two Starlite in that area: an automobile dealership and a pawn shop that are a few miles apart on the map. Likely they began as Starlight Arena. But the photo proved it was spelled as Starlight Arena. That was the official name spelled that way.
UPDATE! --
I received an email from someone today. He explained some more about this rink. This portion was edited.
The main coaches there were Walter Graham, Baba Brooks, and Joey Smith. From time to time, there were other well known athletes and coaches who presented seminars and work shops.
Walt Graham and his troupe, produced traveling shows around the Maryland, Virginia, DC environs. The rink had a mass amount of storage beneath the far end of the building in which 18-wheelers could off load show equipment.
You are correct, the floor size was immense approximately 100 ft x 240 long. I skated at the rink while I was in service in 1969 (just once) and when I returned later, I skated from 1972-1980.
Hope this helps.
BTW- the building is still standing (at least it was two years ago.). I will look at Google Earth. There are many strip mall shops occupying the space, and from time to time, you may see a bit of bare floor in the shops.
UPDATE! -- 06 April 2022.
I received an email from someone who went to this skating rink. R.B. send me a lengthy email regarding this rink and a photograph which is included. Side note, this profile has not just add the update, the whole new look too and added copyrighted to the photos. Now, back to the email. This includes a couple of other rinks so it will be shared on those pages too. Some are edited. Here is what he has to say --
Hi there. just became acquainted with your dead rink site fascinated by the search for information on Starlight Arena in Edgewood Maryland skated there many years in the late sixties early seventies... the attached photo is from one of the covers of 1 of the skating shows put on in 1971 under the direction of Walt Graham. I have photos of those shows and possibly other memorabilia of the rink will be in contact with more soon ...hit me up if you don't hear from me just to remind me to get my act in gear. I will tell you one of the most memorable events at Starlight Arena was the haircut policy for males... The Baileys who owned Starlight would have a tape measure available to make sure a male's haircut did not extend too far on the collar... Haircut rules were visibly posted everywhere and strictly enforced at the door!!! Other roller rinks in The Hartford county area now closed include the Bel-Air roller rin[k] and the Skate Land isn't the [sp] Bel-Air location which was a chain of roller rinks in the Baltimore metropolitan area with most... if not all but one closed and demolished. Interestingly the one I know for sure that has not been demolished is currently the home of the Charm City Roller Girls and a revival of roller derby. I worked at Bel Air Skateland for many years and took [lessons] under Walt Graham [at] Starlight prior to that. Interestingly most people bought their skates from Charlie Durham at the Bel-Air roller rink because his mark up was minimal. He did not fear the competition as he could let people in for free and still make money on the snack bar. Hahaha how times have changed...no hair rules and everything costs a fortune!
Wow, interesting history. Yes, young skaters from 1970s on, rinks before that were quite strict with length of hair and other rinks similar rules but also strict on attire as well.
Exterior.
The exterior looked like a very large warehouse-like building with Aluminum walls. It was a Gable roofed Free-standing Truss building. All in Sky-Blue color with 1950s style scriptive font in 1950s appearance. It was opened in 1960s! (Unveritfied).
Interior.
The interior showed the feeling of very spacious facility that you would feel freely skating in that place. That is because they have a very big rink. To my naked eye in seeing that only one photograph, it looked like a full NHL or larger floor. They have several exposed beams with Mansard ceiling so likely the building itself is or was, if torn down, a Mansard roof building. It had windows on one end as I can see in the picture which brights natural lights in whch brightened up in that building. Although it appeared bright, the photograph was perhaps on a technicolor film made by Kodak in 1950s/1960s which brought us those brightness.
The ceiling lights were all tube lights in both whites and colors.
The colors were very cool colors of Sky Blue on walls and rails but above that, all Snow-White on truss, posts, and upper wall as well as ceiling.
This was one of many rinks I would have liked to go skating because of the brightness and airy making you feel like floating through there.
That is all I have for information. Anything, please let me know at [email protected].
The Stats:
Rink Size: 100 Feet x 240 Feet. Floor: Maple Wood, Clear coated. Floor Layout: LOG
Building Size: N/A Built: Likely around 1960s. Demolished: Now a plaza.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse-like Building. Now plaza.
Roof: Gable Roof. (Mansard for plaza).
Acres: N/A (photo showed apparently about 2 to 3 acres)
Operated: 1960s to 1985.
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding specific dates of both open and closed, why closed, anything special, etc?
Sources:
Kidstuff.com,
Facebook (Note, the group is very private, you cannot see posts, photos),
Email (06 April 2022).
Date of Issue: 2019.
Updated: 13 September 2021.
Updated: 06 April 2022.
For Office Only: 6.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3,16.
The name Edgewood Star-Lite was also spelled as Edgewood Starlite. Both I searched, I get same results that there are two Starlite in that area: an automobile dealership and a pawn shop that are a few miles apart on the map. Likely they began as Starlight Arena. But the photo proved it was spelled as Starlight Arena. That was the official name spelled that way.
UPDATE! --
I received an email from someone today. He explained some more about this rink. This portion was edited.
The main coaches there were Walter Graham, Baba Brooks, and Joey Smith. From time to time, there were other well known athletes and coaches who presented seminars and work shops.
Walt Graham and his troupe, produced traveling shows around the Maryland, Virginia, DC environs. The rink had a mass amount of storage beneath the far end of the building in which 18-wheelers could off load show equipment.
You are correct, the floor size was immense approximately 100 ft x 240 long. I skated at the rink while I was in service in 1969 (just once) and when I returned later, I skated from 1972-1980.
Hope this helps.
BTW- the building is still standing (at least it was two years ago.). I will look at Google Earth. There are many strip mall shops occupying the space, and from time to time, you may see a bit of bare floor in the shops.
UPDATE! -- 06 April 2022.
I received an email from someone who went to this skating rink. R.B. send me a lengthy email regarding this rink and a photograph which is included. Side note, this profile has not just add the update, the whole new look too and added copyrighted to the photos. Now, back to the email. This includes a couple of other rinks so it will be shared on those pages too. Some are edited. Here is what he has to say --
Hi there. just became acquainted with your dead rink site fascinated by the search for information on Starlight Arena in Edgewood Maryland skated there many years in the late sixties early seventies... the attached photo is from one of the covers of 1 of the skating shows put on in 1971 under the direction of Walt Graham. I have photos of those shows and possibly other memorabilia of the rink will be in contact with more soon ...hit me up if you don't hear from me just to remind me to get my act in gear. I will tell you one of the most memorable events at Starlight Arena was the haircut policy for males... The Baileys who owned Starlight would have a tape measure available to make sure a male's haircut did not extend too far on the collar... Haircut rules were visibly posted everywhere and strictly enforced at the door!!! Other roller rinks in The Hartford county area now closed include the Bel-Air roller rin[k] and the Skate Land isn't the [sp] Bel-Air location which was a chain of roller rinks in the Baltimore metropolitan area with most... if not all but one closed and demolished. Interestingly the one I know for sure that has not been demolished is currently the home of the Charm City Roller Girls and a revival of roller derby. I worked at Bel Air Skateland for many years and took [lessons] under Walt Graham [at] Starlight prior to that. Interestingly most people bought their skates from Charlie Durham at the Bel-Air roller rink because his mark up was minimal. He did not fear the competition as he could let people in for free and still make money on the snack bar. Hahaha how times have changed...no hair rules and everything costs a fortune!
Wow, interesting history. Yes, young skaters from 1970s on, rinks before that were quite strict with length of hair and other rinks similar rules but also strict on attire as well.
Exterior.
The exterior looked like a very large warehouse-like building with Aluminum walls. It was a Gable roofed Free-standing Truss building. All in Sky-Blue color with 1950s style scriptive font in 1950s appearance. It was opened in 1960s! (Unveritfied).
Interior.
The interior showed the feeling of very spacious facility that you would feel freely skating in that place. That is because they have a very big rink. To my naked eye in seeing that only one photograph, it looked like a full NHL or larger floor. They have several exposed beams with Mansard ceiling so likely the building itself is or was, if torn down, a Mansard roof building. It had windows on one end as I can see in the picture which brights natural lights in whch brightened up in that building. Although it appeared bright, the photograph was perhaps on a technicolor film made by Kodak in 1950s/1960s which brought us those brightness.
The ceiling lights were all tube lights in both whites and colors.
The colors were very cool colors of Sky Blue on walls and rails but above that, all Snow-White on truss, posts, and upper wall as well as ceiling.
This was one of many rinks I would have liked to go skating because of the brightness and airy making you feel like floating through there.
That is all I have for information. Anything, please let me know at [email protected].
The Stats:
Rink Size: 100 Feet x 240 Feet. Floor: Maple Wood, Clear coated. Floor Layout: LOG
Building Size: N/A Built: Likely around 1960s. Demolished: Now a plaza.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse-like Building. Now plaza.
Roof: Gable Roof. (Mansard for plaza).
Acres: N/A (photo showed apparently about 2 to 3 acres)
Operated: 1960s to 1985.
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding specific dates of both open and closed, why closed, anything special, etc?
Sources:
Kidstuff.com,
Facebook (Note, the group is very private, you cannot see posts, photos),
Email (06 April 2022).
Date of Issue: 2019.
Updated: 13 September 2021.
Updated: 06 April 2022.
For Office Only: 6.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3,16.