Courtesy of Lordship History. Sticker for Delvy's the original rink that was sort of short lived.
Courtesy of Lordship History. Sticker for Ernie's Skating Rink. Apparently Ernie Antignani loved the design from Delvy's so it was just a name change and kept the rest. I believe that was the case in my opinion. and when the supplier who made stickers only had a few different design offerings and perhaps just say name change. That is all. One thing to say about both, they had the same girl in Christmas outfit. You can see Santa's cap and the female version skirt dress.
Courtesy of The Lordship History. Noticed in this 1910s or 1920s photograph painted with watercolor into postcard. Yes, you see right that the city bus with the name of the town, LORDSHIP on it. The main entrance was practically next door! It also walled off for paid patrons to enter the grounds of the Crystal Ballroom. Truly long dedicated website is found here at The Lordship History. The gable canopy right by the road is for the bus stop. This reminds me of the State Fair here in Syracuse, NY.
Courtesy of Stratford Historial Society, a Robert Sammis Collection. Photo reduced to focus on main area. Noticed the left two buildings, ok, the rink was at bigger building above in this photo. It appeared narrower than the rebuilt.
Courtesy of Kathie Powell through Lordship History. Cira 1966-67. Wow, those rails are quite thin! And I see skaters like to rest putting up their feet in skates on the baseboard. No wonder rinks evolved into having cinderblocks half-walls instead during 1970s on. Beautiful clear coated Maple wood. And light too.
The Lordship Rink Fire of 1967--
All four photos courtesy of Frank DeCerbo / Lordship History. Wow, what a destruction this fire was. Hundreds did few but only a few were shown in a photo so I did not include them. Many photos related to the fire are available for you to view are on Lordship History website. The bottom photo above really touched my heart and I cried. I wish I was there to pray with those men about the fire. One was William Fellows (in plaid shirt on -- he perhaps lost his jacket in the fire), and next to him William, his employee with jacket on and his plaid shirt on as well. The rest were perhaps Christians living in the area. No wonder God blessed William even with the fire going, he was able to rebuilt the rink once again like a phoenix rises again. God bless them! I even cried! For Dead-Rink Operator of the 20th Century award I have to say it is William Fellows. From what I read about him and I can see why, his faith in the LORD Jesus Christ. Amen!
The Rebuilt --
Courtesy of Google Map. Ah, this was taken over Summer 2011, just a couple of months before the Hurricane hits.
Second and final rink courtesy of Lordship History. Beautiful dull Clear-coated White Maple. It does look very similar to the original with how lights are set up in there. Tube bulbs, fans, windows for venation. etc.
Delvy's Skating Rink 55 Washington Pkwy, Lordship Beach, Stratford, CT
Ernie's Skating Arena 55 Washington Pkwy, Lordship Beach, Stratford, CT
Lordship Skating Rink 55 Washington Pkwy, Lordship, Stratford, CT
Long Beach Skate Land 55 Washington Pkwy, Lordship, Stratford, CT
Rollerrink Long Beach 55 Washington Pkwy, Lordship, Stratford, CT
Ernie's Skating Arena 55 Washington Pkwy, Lordship Beach, Stratford, CT
Lordship Skating Rink 55 Washington Pkwy, Lordship, Stratford, CT
Long Beach Skate Land 55 Washington Pkwy, Lordship, Stratford, CT
Rollerrink Long Beach 55 Washington Pkwy, Lordship, Stratford, CT
In the very beginning on Friday night, May 25, 1934 when Crystal Ballroom opened as a ballroom for dancing. When it was opened, the Crystal Ballroom was renovated in its entirely for the gala opening. The main focus was a shiny new dance floor. It also had crystallized walls, which glisten as the multi-colored lights are switched on. There were beautiful fancy chandeliers with crystals hanging from the ceiling and new Yale blue furniture all provide a distinctive atmosphere to this rendezvous for those who seek the crystal of fine dancing.
This grand ballroom was so popular that patrons were bussed to the ballroom! Of course, some rinks today do that but hardly much however, sounds like it was as you can tell in the photo. The city buses made stops at the ballroom. Tal Henry and the North Carolinians band played for six consecutive nights. Yes, readers, buses went to the ballroom each night like it was a regular scheduled.
Big name media were there including NBC, radio stations. TV were not around yet.
Mrs. Peggy Doyle was the operator of the beautiful Crystal Ballroom building.
Since back the day there were Blue Sundays laws and on June 29, 1934: They had Sunday Night Dance Hearing which drew 400 citizens before the council to change law to allow the dances on Sunday evenings. State laws barred openings on Sundays so this is where it drew the the meeting proposed by Peggy Doyle to allow dancing on Sunday as she and supporters citing movies were allowed to be shown on Sundays out in theaters. That article in Lordship History website did not say how the vote went regarding to Sunday Blue Laws. I believe it was repealed.
Eventually Crystal Ballroom was converted to roller rink starting with Delvy's Skating Rink followed by Ernie's Skating Rink (Er, no, not that Ernie you are thinking of with that denim vest and hat with white T-shirt. Wrong Ernie! Haha), and then Lordship Skating Rink then of course, final rink, the Long Beach Skate Land.
The name is bit confusing. Everyone calls that rink, Lordship Skating Rink but it was actually three main businesses with that name regarding as said in last paragraph. You see, Lordship Skating Rink was name of the place but the name of the businesses were starting with Delvy's, then Ernie's, then Long Beach Skate Land. it is like.. stores in a shopping mall. You say, I am going to the store at the mall. I not need name it but you get the idea. Same thing. "I am going to skate at Delvy's in the Lordship Skating Rink."
The first blow was the major fire on May 1, 1967 burring the rink building down. It did attract the whole area or even town to see the major fire. You see, the Crystal Ballroom/Lordship Skating Rink facility was a landmark and popular facility for dancers and later, skaters in the area. The fire department estimated the damage worth 100,000 USD at the time of the fire in May 1967. It would today in November 2020, adjusted to inflation worth 779,604.79 USD today. That is about half of what is worth at more modern upscale rinks today cost (roughly 1.5 Million USD if one to open in 2021). Allow the adjustable rate at 679.6 percent!
From I seen that building, likely it was worth more than 100,000 USD in 1967, the year American Dollar was truly One Dollar even. Having said about the value, it is because it was unique building and could have preserved well for many more years. Just replace roof if it was in good shape building. But the fire ended its chance to enter Registration of Historic Places.
It was sad day that May 1, 1967 at 6 PM when the fire broke up and the owner William Fellows who owned the rink, Long Beach Skate Land and his employee, William F. Freeman Jr. both rushed and ushered 30 skating patrons out of the door due the fire rapidly spreading at the rink. There were no injured reported so that was good news.
Those patrons were mostly youngsters who were in the rink at the time of the fire. It was so big that the fire penetrated through the wooden roof when the owner, William Fellows called the for fire department to come. They did and the roof was collapsed when the fire department came. It was fast fire burning. By 9:17 PM the fire was put out. A three hours fire.
There were money in the money box at the admission/snack bar that it was not important to take out of the building because The two men had to escort the 30 patrons out of the burning building. It was 900 Dollars in the mental money box and because of the heat, coins were fused together or melted into a pool of metal and paper money burned and charred.
The police had hard time to control traffic because the roads needed to be cleared for emergency vehicles to arrive, onlookers at the fire were from all over Lordship, Stratford, surrounded communities and even out of town because the fire were easily seen as far as the highways on the other side of town. The reason for this that onlookers were there because they respected William Fellows who had a good reputation at the rink.
People asked William Fellows if he would rebuilt and open the rink, he said it would not go far with just 30,000 USD in insurance. However, William did not give up and went on to rebuilt. The skating club gather up money and donated 750 Dollars for a building fund to rebuilt. I am sure William received numerous of donations and charities from neighbors, the community, and even the state. It did not say that but that is what I assume it happened because he has a very good reputation. I am sure he was operator of the year perhaps several times. William determined to have it rebuilt and fireproof. That was the result of Steel walled and stronger firepoof materials in the building. Did you forget now you have to have fire suppression such as fire sprinklers and fire suppressors? If any of you learned in school especially architectural major regarding the Great Cocoanut Groove Fire? Or the Sweatshop Fire of NY? Or even worse?
They said the fire was caused by defective wire. Must be it got hot and burned through.
The final blow to the rink was because of Hurricane Irene damaged the rink. Hurricane Irene occurred between August 20 and 29th, 2011. Sandy which was another hurricane in 2012 did more damages in almost same immediate area which was more damaging to the rink that was already closed due to Irene the year before. You saw numerous of damages to homes between New Jersey and Boston if you want to say that. It was Northeast experience like what New Orleans did experienced with Rita and Katrina. One-Two Punch.
No flood insurance and you can see the photos they are close to water. Sure they are only merely few feet from the sea, surges can go really high as even 100 feet! It is like when you were playing in the bath tub as a kid, you slapped the water and you noticed the big wave. or when you were in the swimming pool and you wanted to tease your sweetheart by splashing water to create a force of wave at your love to get her wet. The hurricane has same strength and can make such wave-like surges onto the land shore. The rink looks to be about maybe 100 yards. Maybe more like 125 yards from the shores. This is what happens.
The Interior.
It was originally a ballroom and wooden Maple floor, clear coated and it was Gambol roof style with Gable interior ceiling. The floor was perhaps in different layout during the years it was Crystal Ballroom but in 1952, it was heavily renovated into more modern roller rink, it was relay down with Log Cabin style. The lights in the renovated version were tube lights replacing the crystal chandlers hanging from the ceiling. They also put up popluar wood panels on the walls and had Free-Span Steel Truss support in the original.
The rebuilt was similar design to the renovated version before the fire but more modern, with tube lights, and Steel truss this time. And Maple wood floor once again. And clear coated. The wall also had some appeared to be Tuscan Red color and Off-White.
The Exterior.
The original was Brown Bricks classical 1910s look building with Gambrel roof as it appeared in early photo (see above), it had outside high walls in open space for patrons to enjoy outside perhaps during warm seasons for dancing outside and for smoking at the time. They also had a huge admission building that was 2 storys or storeys. Anyway, they even had a bus stop canopy at the very end of a boulevard-like Washington Parkway.
After the fire in 1967, the rebuilt was more plain looking warehouse like building with steel sheet metal walls on the exterior. It was Sky Blue color. The front door was very basic looking white extension out of the front. It appeared to be wider and set.
The Stats: Original 1911
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Clear coated Maple. Floor Layout: Log.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1911. Demolished: 1967 due to a fire.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Brick-Walled Ballroom/Convention center - like Building.
Roof: Gambrel.
Acres: N/A.
The Stats: Rebuilt 1957
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Clear-Coated Maple, unpolished. Floor Layout: Log?
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1957. Demolished: Damaged in 2011 by Hurricanes Sandy and Irene. Demolished to become Condos.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable
Acres: N/A.
Operated: 1940s to Fall 2011.
(Crystal Ballroom): Friday night, May 25, 1934 to early 1940s
Delvy's Skating Rink: Early 1940s to May 27, 1949
Ernie's Skating Arena: May 27, 1949 to November 13, 1954
Lordship Skating Rink: Saturday, November 13, 1954 to May 1, 1967
Long Beach Skate Land: December 14, 1957 - August 2011 (Hurricane Irene) (And Hurricane Sandy,
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Delvy's Skating Rink:
Ernie's Skating Arena:
Lordship Skating Rink: Rink name of center, not business.
Long Beach Skate Land:
Wanted: Information regarding actual dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Lordship History - all rinks; Patch Mar 21, 2011 - Long Beach Skate Land (One of the last time they had article about the rink still in business); National Weather Service - Hurricane Irene 2011; Wikipedia - Hurricane Irene;
Wikipedia - Hurricane Sandy (2012).
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
This grand ballroom was so popular that patrons were bussed to the ballroom! Of course, some rinks today do that but hardly much however, sounds like it was as you can tell in the photo. The city buses made stops at the ballroom. Tal Henry and the North Carolinians band played for six consecutive nights. Yes, readers, buses went to the ballroom each night like it was a regular scheduled.
Big name media were there including NBC, radio stations. TV were not around yet.
Mrs. Peggy Doyle was the operator of the beautiful Crystal Ballroom building.
Since back the day there were Blue Sundays laws and on June 29, 1934: They had Sunday Night Dance Hearing which drew 400 citizens before the council to change law to allow the dances on Sunday evenings. State laws barred openings on Sundays so this is where it drew the the meeting proposed by Peggy Doyle to allow dancing on Sunday as she and supporters citing movies were allowed to be shown on Sundays out in theaters. That article in Lordship History website did not say how the vote went regarding to Sunday Blue Laws. I believe it was repealed.
Eventually Crystal Ballroom was converted to roller rink starting with Delvy's Skating Rink followed by Ernie's Skating Rink (Er, no, not that Ernie you are thinking of with that denim vest and hat with white T-shirt. Wrong Ernie! Haha), and then Lordship Skating Rink then of course, final rink, the Long Beach Skate Land.
The name is bit confusing. Everyone calls that rink, Lordship Skating Rink but it was actually three main businesses with that name regarding as said in last paragraph. You see, Lordship Skating Rink was name of the place but the name of the businesses were starting with Delvy's, then Ernie's, then Long Beach Skate Land. it is like.. stores in a shopping mall. You say, I am going to the store at the mall. I not need name it but you get the idea. Same thing. "I am going to skate at Delvy's in the Lordship Skating Rink."
The first blow was the major fire on May 1, 1967 burring the rink building down. It did attract the whole area or even town to see the major fire. You see, the Crystal Ballroom/Lordship Skating Rink facility was a landmark and popular facility for dancers and later, skaters in the area. The fire department estimated the damage worth 100,000 USD at the time of the fire in May 1967. It would today in November 2020, adjusted to inflation worth 779,604.79 USD today. That is about half of what is worth at more modern upscale rinks today cost (roughly 1.5 Million USD if one to open in 2021). Allow the adjustable rate at 679.6 percent!
From I seen that building, likely it was worth more than 100,000 USD in 1967, the year American Dollar was truly One Dollar even. Having said about the value, it is because it was unique building and could have preserved well for many more years. Just replace roof if it was in good shape building. But the fire ended its chance to enter Registration of Historic Places.
It was sad day that May 1, 1967 at 6 PM when the fire broke up and the owner William Fellows who owned the rink, Long Beach Skate Land and his employee, William F. Freeman Jr. both rushed and ushered 30 skating patrons out of the door due the fire rapidly spreading at the rink. There were no injured reported so that was good news.
Those patrons were mostly youngsters who were in the rink at the time of the fire. It was so big that the fire penetrated through the wooden roof when the owner, William Fellows called the for fire department to come. They did and the roof was collapsed when the fire department came. It was fast fire burning. By 9:17 PM the fire was put out. A three hours fire.
There were money in the money box at the admission/snack bar that it was not important to take out of the building because The two men had to escort the 30 patrons out of the burning building. It was 900 Dollars in the mental money box and because of the heat, coins were fused together or melted into a pool of metal and paper money burned and charred.
The police had hard time to control traffic because the roads needed to be cleared for emergency vehicles to arrive, onlookers at the fire were from all over Lordship, Stratford, surrounded communities and even out of town because the fire were easily seen as far as the highways on the other side of town. The reason for this that onlookers were there because they respected William Fellows who had a good reputation at the rink.
People asked William Fellows if he would rebuilt and open the rink, he said it would not go far with just 30,000 USD in insurance. However, William did not give up and went on to rebuilt. The skating club gather up money and donated 750 Dollars for a building fund to rebuilt. I am sure William received numerous of donations and charities from neighbors, the community, and even the state. It did not say that but that is what I assume it happened because he has a very good reputation. I am sure he was operator of the year perhaps several times. William determined to have it rebuilt and fireproof. That was the result of Steel walled and stronger firepoof materials in the building. Did you forget now you have to have fire suppression such as fire sprinklers and fire suppressors? If any of you learned in school especially architectural major regarding the Great Cocoanut Groove Fire? Or the Sweatshop Fire of NY? Or even worse?
They said the fire was caused by defective wire. Must be it got hot and burned through.
The final blow to the rink was because of Hurricane Irene damaged the rink. Hurricane Irene occurred between August 20 and 29th, 2011. Sandy which was another hurricane in 2012 did more damages in almost same immediate area which was more damaging to the rink that was already closed due to Irene the year before. You saw numerous of damages to homes between New Jersey and Boston if you want to say that. It was Northeast experience like what New Orleans did experienced with Rita and Katrina. One-Two Punch.
No flood insurance and you can see the photos they are close to water. Sure they are only merely few feet from the sea, surges can go really high as even 100 feet! It is like when you were playing in the bath tub as a kid, you slapped the water and you noticed the big wave. or when you were in the swimming pool and you wanted to tease your sweetheart by splashing water to create a force of wave at your love to get her wet. The hurricane has same strength and can make such wave-like surges onto the land shore. The rink looks to be about maybe 100 yards. Maybe more like 125 yards from the shores. This is what happens.
The Interior.
It was originally a ballroom and wooden Maple floor, clear coated and it was Gambol roof style with Gable interior ceiling. The floor was perhaps in different layout during the years it was Crystal Ballroom but in 1952, it was heavily renovated into more modern roller rink, it was relay down with Log Cabin style. The lights in the renovated version were tube lights replacing the crystal chandlers hanging from the ceiling. They also put up popluar wood panels on the walls and had Free-Span Steel Truss support in the original.
The rebuilt was similar design to the renovated version before the fire but more modern, with tube lights, and Steel truss this time. And Maple wood floor once again. And clear coated. The wall also had some appeared to be Tuscan Red color and Off-White.
The Exterior.
The original was Brown Bricks classical 1910s look building with Gambrel roof as it appeared in early photo (see above), it had outside high walls in open space for patrons to enjoy outside perhaps during warm seasons for dancing outside and for smoking at the time. They also had a huge admission building that was 2 storys or storeys. Anyway, they even had a bus stop canopy at the very end of a boulevard-like Washington Parkway.
After the fire in 1967, the rebuilt was more plain looking warehouse like building with steel sheet metal walls on the exterior. It was Sky Blue color. The front door was very basic looking white extension out of the front. It appeared to be wider and set.
The Stats: Original 1911
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Clear coated Maple. Floor Layout: Log.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1911. Demolished: 1967 due to a fire.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Brick-Walled Ballroom/Convention center - like Building.
Roof: Gambrel.
Acres: N/A.
The Stats: Rebuilt 1957
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Clear-Coated Maple, unpolished. Floor Layout: Log?
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1957. Demolished: Damaged in 2011 by Hurricanes Sandy and Irene. Demolished to become Condos.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable
Acres: N/A.
Operated: 1940s to Fall 2011.
(Crystal Ballroom): Friday night, May 25, 1934 to early 1940s
Delvy's Skating Rink: Early 1940s to May 27, 1949
Ernie's Skating Arena: May 27, 1949 to November 13, 1954
Lordship Skating Rink: Saturday, November 13, 1954 to May 1, 1967
Long Beach Skate Land: December 14, 1957 - August 2011 (Hurricane Irene) (And Hurricane Sandy,
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Delvy's Skating Rink:
Ernie's Skating Arena:
Lordship Skating Rink: Rink name of center, not business.
Long Beach Skate Land:
Wanted: Information regarding actual dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Lordship History - all rinks; Patch Mar 21, 2011 - Long Beach Skate Land (One of the last time they had article about the rink still in business); National Weather Service - Hurricane Irene 2011; Wikipedia - Hurricane Irene;
Wikipedia - Hurricane Sandy (2012).
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.