Hippodrome 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN. This one dates the oldest I can find. It was the automobiles. Both automobiles were convertibles as shown but I cannot make out the design since it is bit grainy, small, and hard to see details. Beautiful car on the right though. Cars looked to be 1930s. Source: Pinterest.
Hippodrome 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN. This was truly original color in this B/W which may have been Cream White or Off-White or even a pastel color we do not know. Anyone? The next photo showed it was painted Charcoal Gray. The black marquee was the exact same color as in the color photo so it was clearly Pitch Black with neon signs. Likely taken in 1954-57 because of the automobile parked in front. Source: Creg Segrove's Blog.
Hippodrome 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN. Photo by Charles W. Warterfield. Wow, beautiful architecture! And those two cars! Darn, that milk van got in the way but was historically correct to be captured because it was common long before Amazon of delivery of milk! I am not sure of this automobile on the left but the right, was a 1964.5 or 1965 Mustang. Likely taken in 1965-67, What so spooky was that the 1960s photo looked like a digital photograph! Looked so recent yet the building was demolishing and burned down way back in 1968! I believe this photo was photoshopped by someone to make it more recent-like. Did someone did that or actually time travel? Source: Nashville Library.
Hippodrome 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN. A remake of original sticker. Looks too new, right? A forgery, I believe. Source: Ebay.
Hippodrome 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN. Another remake of original sticker. Same with the above. Looks too new, right? A forgery, I believe. Source: Pinterest.
Hippodrome 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN. Source: Historic Nashville.
Hippodrome 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN. An advertisement/coupon in 1965. Source: The Tennessean Nashville, Tennessee, Sunday, 11 April 1965, Page 115.
Hippodrome Roller Rink 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN aka
Hippodrome 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN
Hippodrome 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN
One of the most beautiful roller rink ever built, the beautiful Art Deco Moderne, Hippodrome Roller Rink in the height of Art Deco exterior design which was on 2613 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee.
It was designed and build in 1914 because that was around the time they opened. This was a huge advance in architectural design. A design usually found in 1920s with Early Moderne. This brought a question. Was this place heavily renovated in 1920s or even 1930s? It was possible they had it renovated. I need much older photographs and information! Only proof I have is 1965 photo because of the 1964 or 65 Mustang proudly parked in front of the rink. The older one showed a 1950s automobile. Maybe 1954 or 55. Looked like a Chevrolet but I am not sure.
The rink also held other activities including concerts there with the likes of Benny Goodman, Chuck Berry, and Chubby Checkers. Big bands, rock-n-roller, and do-wop played there. Elliott Lawrence and His Orchestra drove into town in a fleet of creamed colored convertibles, perhaps one member per car and arrived in front of the Hippodrome.
They had used the facility for ballroom for dancing, sporting events -- boxing and wrestling, and of course, roller skating but the name of this facility was mainly focused on roller skating just like the sign said. The Hippodrome Roller Rink was at the time, the largest and most popular indoor arena and entertainment center in town, providing decades of fun and popularity. There were professional wrestling promoted by Nick Gulas in 1950s and 1960s.
Around 1934, the Nashville Tennessean newspaper sponsored first Golden Gloves boxing tournament at the Hippodrome, a very popular event that continued for the next thirty years.
During the Depression, at the Hippodrome, there were walking marathons where there were boy and girl couples would walk around the rink until one or the other collapsed. The strongest of the two would hold the other up and the couple that finished on their feet would win a cash prize. To me, that was a bit cruel. It is like you have to put your hand on an Xbox but you cannot eat but only drink and that real life case caused a death and the DJs got fired back in 1990s I believe, at some place else. So, that was a no no. Back then people were not consensus about safety of their health.
From 1937 until 1941, the Vanderbilt's basketball team played at the Hippodrome.
During Second World War, the Hippodrome served as a USO facility where many soldiers enjoyed the social events and refreshments.
Political rallies were common and so were trade shows were at the Hippodrome.
On the dark side of history of the Hippodrome, the people were segregated but there were the white only and colored only restrooms.
Tony Sudekum, founder of the Crescent Amusement Company, owned the Hippodrome for most of its history.
See the Exterior below for further details on the rink's exterior Art Deco Moderne design that was one of the best design ever seen. Sadly in 1968, it was demolished after they closed and they had a fire that further destroyed it. They had their final rink session on March 26, 1968. Demolition crews had been tearing down the structure until when a fire on June 13, 1968 caused by sparks from acetylene torches on the roofing beams hastened the building's demise. Workers were using torches to dismantle the beams.
They were tearing it down to make way for a Holiday Inn. From what I see on Google Map and the location of the Hippodrome, the Holiday Inn parking lot is where the old HIppodrome was located. The hotel was build behind or in the back part of the Hippodrome.
UPDATE! -- 25 April 2022.
Received email regarding this rink. Someone experienced this.
I was born in 1953, so I had to have been 10 or 12 years old, but I skated at the [H]ippodrome every Saturday from 2:00 until 5:00 pm. There were 4 or 5 of us (girls) and someone's mother would drop us off, and someone's mother would pick us up! Some of my favorite memories were at the Hippodrome in Nashville. The grand march...do the hokey pokey and all!!! Miss that!
--R.H.
The Interior.
It was one of the largest rink in the country and definitely largest in the South at the time. 40,000 Square Feet roller rink! That would be the World's Largest at the time. I do not know how wide and how long it was. But by seeing the exterior photo, it should explain how big it was.
They had an organ up in a balcony on the east side of the building. A female organist played music as everyone skated below the organ.
The Exterior.
This building.. I would have to say the best Art Deco Moderne building for a roller rink. There are other Art Deco but nothing tops this. As an Architecture Critic, I have to say 11 out of 10! That is how good design this is. It is rather dark color than normal light colored for an Art Deco architecture. Normally Art Deco design are usually bright, light, airy 1930s but this might be a design idea from 1920s because Black Black was common color in 1930s. Monochromic colors were common at that time. Chrome, Black, White were the rage of 1920s and early 1930s before it became more of.. Miami colors of 1930s and 40s right into the 1950s American Miami Colors that the 1980s picked it up again with the 1950s Miami Colors. I know I am off the subject but the point is that, the 1920s colors were back in 2015 to 2020. It shows as evidence as Graying of America (more gray though than black).
It has those vertical ribs which is very geometric designed. There are a few sub-design within the Art Deco. The Miami Beach Art Deco, the Californian, The Streamline and the Frank Lloyd Wright Moderne, and even hybrid of Californian Craftsman and Wright Moderne. This one is high note of Art Deco. This architecture at the Rollerdrome should be discussed in architecture courses such as Architecture History. Art History, and Industrial Design History.
This building was more of its own with the style borrowed from every one of them. More toward to Wright Moderne though. There are no soft corners. All sharp corners. It has beautiful lower case, "R" series of glass blocks on one side and the reverse lowercase "R" on the other side.
They have many steps to walk up. It does give the place a feel of a theater like. This architecture reminded me of some comic book architecture you would find in 1930s to 1950s, even today's comic books, they display similar architecture. It was a popular attraction for many at the time for sure because of one of the most grand design ever for a roller rink.
I just found more picture. An old Black-and-White photo-- it was light colored after all! I stood corrected that it is normally light colors for an Art Deco design. It was hard to tell what color was that in the old B/W photo.
There were also a lot of CURVED glass blocks by the stair between sidewalk and the main door entrance. That was a rare feat for a 1910s architecture which was about 15 years advanced with this design. A 1930s in 1914!
It was built right cross the street from from Centennial Park.
The Stats:
Rink Size: 40,000 SF! (Was world's largest). Floor: Non-colored, clear coated Maple. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: Way over 40,000 SF. Built: N/A. Demolished: June 13, 1968. Was working on demolished hand by hand, pieces by pieces but a fire on June 13, 1968 quicken destroyed the building. Was going to recycle materials but fire ended that chance. Now a Holiday Inn (Still same franchise).
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Stucco-Walled Grand theater/auditorium - like Building.
Roof: Flat?
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- c. 1914 until March 26, 1968.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
Digital Library
The News
Greg Segrove's blog
Fandom
Nashville Historical Points (purchase print for 25 Dollars)
Ebay - Decal
Historical Nashville
Facebook - Walking Nashville
Setlist - Concerts listing
Newspaper coupon ad
Facebook - Atlanta Bands Hippodrome
Date of issue: 16 April 2021.
Updated: 23 April 2022.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
It was designed and build in 1914 because that was around the time they opened. This was a huge advance in architectural design. A design usually found in 1920s with Early Moderne. This brought a question. Was this place heavily renovated in 1920s or even 1930s? It was possible they had it renovated. I need much older photographs and information! Only proof I have is 1965 photo because of the 1964 or 65 Mustang proudly parked in front of the rink. The older one showed a 1950s automobile. Maybe 1954 or 55. Looked like a Chevrolet but I am not sure.
The rink also held other activities including concerts there with the likes of Benny Goodman, Chuck Berry, and Chubby Checkers. Big bands, rock-n-roller, and do-wop played there. Elliott Lawrence and His Orchestra drove into town in a fleet of creamed colored convertibles, perhaps one member per car and arrived in front of the Hippodrome.
They had used the facility for ballroom for dancing, sporting events -- boxing and wrestling, and of course, roller skating but the name of this facility was mainly focused on roller skating just like the sign said. The Hippodrome Roller Rink was at the time, the largest and most popular indoor arena and entertainment center in town, providing decades of fun and popularity. There were professional wrestling promoted by Nick Gulas in 1950s and 1960s.
Around 1934, the Nashville Tennessean newspaper sponsored first Golden Gloves boxing tournament at the Hippodrome, a very popular event that continued for the next thirty years.
During the Depression, at the Hippodrome, there were walking marathons where there were boy and girl couples would walk around the rink until one or the other collapsed. The strongest of the two would hold the other up and the couple that finished on their feet would win a cash prize. To me, that was a bit cruel. It is like you have to put your hand on an Xbox but you cannot eat but only drink and that real life case caused a death and the DJs got fired back in 1990s I believe, at some place else. So, that was a no no. Back then people were not consensus about safety of their health.
From 1937 until 1941, the Vanderbilt's basketball team played at the Hippodrome.
During Second World War, the Hippodrome served as a USO facility where many soldiers enjoyed the social events and refreshments.
Political rallies were common and so were trade shows were at the Hippodrome.
On the dark side of history of the Hippodrome, the people were segregated but there were the white only and colored only restrooms.
Tony Sudekum, founder of the Crescent Amusement Company, owned the Hippodrome for most of its history.
See the Exterior below for further details on the rink's exterior Art Deco Moderne design that was one of the best design ever seen. Sadly in 1968, it was demolished after they closed and they had a fire that further destroyed it. They had their final rink session on March 26, 1968. Demolition crews had been tearing down the structure until when a fire on June 13, 1968 caused by sparks from acetylene torches on the roofing beams hastened the building's demise. Workers were using torches to dismantle the beams.
They were tearing it down to make way for a Holiday Inn. From what I see on Google Map and the location of the Hippodrome, the Holiday Inn parking lot is where the old HIppodrome was located. The hotel was build behind or in the back part of the Hippodrome.
UPDATE! -- 25 April 2022.
Received email regarding this rink. Someone experienced this.
I was born in 1953, so I had to have been 10 or 12 years old, but I skated at the [H]ippodrome every Saturday from 2:00 until 5:00 pm. There were 4 or 5 of us (girls) and someone's mother would drop us off, and someone's mother would pick us up! Some of my favorite memories were at the Hippodrome in Nashville. The grand march...do the hokey pokey and all!!! Miss that!
--R.H.
The Interior.
It was one of the largest rink in the country and definitely largest in the South at the time. 40,000 Square Feet roller rink! That would be the World's Largest at the time. I do not know how wide and how long it was. But by seeing the exterior photo, it should explain how big it was.
They had an organ up in a balcony on the east side of the building. A female organist played music as everyone skated below the organ.
The Exterior.
This building.. I would have to say the best Art Deco Moderne building for a roller rink. There are other Art Deco but nothing tops this. As an Architecture Critic, I have to say 11 out of 10! That is how good design this is. It is rather dark color than normal light colored for an Art Deco architecture. Normally Art Deco design are usually bright, light, airy 1930s but this might be a design idea from 1920s because Black Black was common color in 1930s. Monochromic colors were common at that time. Chrome, Black, White were the rage of 1920s and early 1930s before it became more of.. Miami colors of 1930s and 40s right into the 1950s American Miami Colors that the 1980s picked it up again with the 1950s Miami Colors. I know I am off the subject but the point is that, the 1920s colors were back in 2015 to 2020. It shows as evidence as Graying of America (more gray though than black).
It has those vertical ribs which is very geometric designed. There are a few sub-design within the Art Deco. The Miami Beach Art Deco, the Californian, The Streamline and the Frank Lloyd Wright Moderne, and even hybrid of Californian Craftsman and Wright Moderne. This one is high note of Art Deco. This architecture at the Rollerdrome should be discussed in architecture courses such as Architecture History. Art History, and Industrial Design History.
This building was more of its own with the style borrowed from every one of them. More toward to Wright Moderne though. There are no soft corners. All sharp corners. It has beautiful lower case, "R" series of glass blocks on one side and the reverse lowercase "R" on the other side.
They have many steps to walk up. It does give the place a feel of a theater like. This architecture reminded me of some comic book architecture you would find in 1930s to 1950s, even today's comic books, they display similar architecture. It was a popular attraction for many at the time for sure because of one of the most grand design ever for a roller rink.
I just found more picture. An old Black-and-White photo-- it was light colored after all! I stood corrected that it is normally light colors for an Art Deco design. It was hard to tell what color was that in the old B/W photo.
There were also a lot of CURVED glass blocks by the stair between sidewalk and the main door entrance. That was a rare feat for a 1910s architecture which was about 15 years advanced with this design. A 1930s in 1914!
It was built right cross the street from from Centennial Park.
The Stats:
Rink Size: 40,000 SF! (Was world's largest). Floor: Non-colored, clear coated Maple. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: Way over 40,000 SF. Built: N/A. Demolished: June 13, 1968. Was working on demolished hand by hand, pieces by pieces but a fire on June 13, 1968 quicken destroyed the building. Was going to recycle materials but fire ended that chance. Now a Holiday Inn (Still same franchise).
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Stucco-Walled Grand theater/auditorium - like Building.
Roof: Flat?
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- c. 1914 until March 26, 1968.
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
Digital Library
The News
Greg Segrove's blog
Fandom
Nashville Historical Points (purchase print for 25 Dollars)
Ebay - Decal
Historical Nashville
Facebook - Walking Nashville
Setlist - Concerts listing
Newspaper coupon ad
Facebook - Atlanta Bands Hippodrome
Date of issue: 16 April 2021.
Updated: 23 April 2022.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.