Courtesy of Google Map. This was the location of the former Red Carpet Skate Way in Boonville, NY. This was one of the rinks I went back then. Top view of the same location in photo below. Courtesy of Google Map.
Red Carpet Skate Way, 199 North Post Street, Boonville, NY
Red Carpet Skate Way was a short lived roller rink in a snowmobile haven town of Boonville, NY where snowmobiling were very popular and Easter States Snowmobile Association Championship were held. It is because of Tug Hill region just the side next to the Adirondacks near Old Forge where they have two annual snowmobile events there as well as still popular snowmobile and tourism continue today.
Back then, when not snowmobiling, teens and children and even adults skated at Red Carpet Skate Way which said to be one of a kind and largest in Upstate NY. Now, there are too many rinks in Upstate NY claimed to be largest. Which did actually be the largest. I believe the one in Latham, NY is because I have been to both Sports-O-Rama Roller Rink in Mattydale, NY and Boonville's Red Carpet Skate Way.
I recalled I went once and it was packed. Wall to wall and skaters there were bit too fast compared to Empire Skates and Rome Skateaway (still in operations). This was 1978 before I visited other rinks. I felt this rink was a bit rough at some points with skaters. However, the place looked real nice. As I recalled, it was grey building with narrow front and long toward back. It was Gable roof building.
According to Google Map, the building still there but some business was at that location when Google had street level mapping on October 2008. It did show poor quality of filming at the time. It was blurred but never mind that. You can tell by the look of the front door and aerial view of the rink that it appeared to be large. The front part which was about quarter of that building was skate rental, admission, and the snack bar. Wall to wall rink toward to the back. That was about the size of that rink.
I do not recall the interior that much but did felt like it was new and it was new. Did even have that new smell in the building even with over packed with skaters.
It was the creation of the Late Francis J. Kirk and his wife, Anna in 1977 when he and his wife built the rink and opened until he closed it in 1981. That would amount to 4 years of operating the rink. He was born and raised a farmer and owned his own farm. In fact, he even had on his farm a roller skating rink before he opened the Red Carpet Skate Way in around 1950s. Not much information on that regard. However, his farm was on the same road as North Post Street (Route 12D). Was his farm the same location as the Red Carpet? It was possible.
Looks like Francis was selling an interest in the rink to Robert Cossitt who owned the same rink in January 1980 to the closure of the rink in 1981.
Since the photo of 2008 Map, it even showed for sale sign. This is when the Boonville Fitness and Health Center purchased the former rink and later it became Black River Training Company, a fitness center with a new name. From one kind of fitness to several kind of fitnesses!
Francis J. Kirk lived to age 95 when he passed away in October 2012. See Obituary here.
Side note: Francis was one of the unionized construction workers who helped built the new modern Rome State School for the Deaf in the 1960s/early 1970s (official name is New York State School for the Deaf/NYSSD) according to the obituaries.)
Robert Cossitt's obituary is found here.
Rink Size: Said to be largest. N/A Floor: Wood, oiled.
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse Building
Roof: Gable
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1977 to 1981 (But one obituary says January 1980 to December 1990). I recalled being there in 1979ish.
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding photographs of former rink. Both interior and exterior. Dates (exact) of open and closed. Why closed.
Sources: Tribute.com, My experience.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
Red Carpet Skate Way was a short lived roller rink in a snowmobile haven town of Boonville, NY where snowmobiling were very popular and Easter States Snowmobile Association Championship were held. It is because of Tug Hill region just the side next to the Adirondacks near Old Forge where they have two annual snowmobile events there as well as still popular snowmobile and tourism continue today.
Back then, when not snowmobiling, teens and children and even adults skated at Red Carpet Skate Way which said to be one of a kind and largest in Upstate NY. Now, there are too many rinks in Upstate NY claimed to be largest. Which did actually be the largest. I believe the one in Latham, NY is because I have been to both Sports-O-Rama Roller Rink in Mattydale, NY and Boonville's Red Carpet Skate Way.
I recalled I went once and it was packed. Wall to wall and skaters there were bit too fast compared to Empire Skates and Rome Skateaway (still in operations). This was 1978 before I visited other rinks. I felt this rink was a bit rough at some points with skaters. However, the place looked real nice. As I recalled, it was grey building with narrow front and long toward back. It was Gable roof building.
According to Google Map, the building still there but some business was at that location when Google had street level mapping on October 2008. It did show poor quality of filming at the time. It was blurred but never mind that. You can tell by the look of the front door and aerial view of the rink that it appeared to be large. The front part which was about quarter of that building was skate rental, admission, and the snack bar. Wall to wall rink toward to the back. That was about the size of that rink.
I do not recall the interior that much but did felt like it was new and it was new. Did even have that new smell in the building even with over packed with skaters.
It was the creation of the Late Francis J. Kirk and his wife, Anna in 1977 when he and his wife built the rink and opened until he closed it in 1981. That would amount to 4 years of operating the rink. He was born and raised a farmer and owned his own farm. In fact, he even had on his farm a roller skating rink before he opened the Red Carpet Skate Way in around 1950s. Not much information on that regard. However, his farm was on the same road as North Post Street (Route 12D). Was his farm the same location as the Red Carpet? It was possible.
Looks like Francis was selling an interest in the rink to Robert Cossitt who owned the same rink in January 1980 to the closure of the rink in 1981.
Since the photo of 2008 Map, it even showed for sale sign. This is when the Boonville Fitness and Health Center purchased the former rink and later it became Black River Training Company, a fitness center with a new name. From one kind of fitness to several kind of fitnesses!
Francis J. Kirk lived to age 95 when he passed away in October 2012. See Obituary here.
Side note: Francis was one of the unionized construction workers who helped built the new modern Rome State School for the Deaf in the 1960s/early 1970s (official name is New York State School for the Deaf/NYSSD) according to the obituaries.)
Robert Cossitt's obituary is found here.
Rink Size: Said to be largest. N/A Floor: Wood, oiled.
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse Building
Roof: Gable
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1977 to 1981 (But one obituary says January 1980 to December 1990). I recalled being there in 1979ish.
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: Information regarding photographs of former rink. Both interior and exterior. Dates (exact) of open and closed. Why closed.
Sources: Tribute.com, My experience.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.