Photos courtesy of Riverdale rink fans on Facebook. My, you see the cars!? Good ol' 1960s/1970s. That place is now a door and window company. I think someone left the window open in the back of the station wagon on the left... Mommy and Daddy perhaps not liking that you left it open! Haha.
Courtesy of Richard Young/Riverdale group on FB. This was taken during the Wartime in 1940s. You can tell with those two sailors with their blues. And a guy. I doubt he was from Airforce because of the bomber jacket did he?
Photo courtesy of Riverdale fans on Facebook. Appeared taken in 1950s. The building interior was standard brick factory/warehouse look of late 19th and early 20th Century because of common steel masts/posts and many windows. This rink was on third floor if you roll up and see the 1970s photo and see all the windows are found on 3rd floor.
Google Map. Seen as today. Terrible!
Riverdale Armory Celestial Court, Warrick, RI
Riverdale Roller Rink Celestial Court, Warrick, RI
Riverdale Roller Rink Celestial Court, Warrick, RI
IThis rink rather was part of mid-20th Century and was an unique rink with Maple wood floor The floor style was rotunda which was designed by the operator of the rink. And the original oval floating floor. It was nailed sideways and not down to the subfloor. The corners were rounded so you always skated on the length of the board. The boards were all grooved to keep them in place., so that the skaters can continue on the same board all around the rink.
First, it opened in 1938 and ran for 31 years. They had many skaters involved with figure and dance skating.
This rink is not to be confused with Riverdale Roller World. Perhaps at different period of time of operating. It was different because it closed at the building and reopened behind the multi-story brick building.
OK, about the building, it was originally called Riverdale Armory and the rink was on third floor. The other floors were for Rhode Island National Guard. What interesting was they even had a coat room next to the snack bar where skaters can put their coats (and likely shoes) there before putting on their skates. This predates the common lockers rinks had. Many rinks had coatrooms.
I will let Richard Young whose grandfather started this rink speak in his email to me:
My name is Richard Young and my grandfather (Ernest E. Young) started Riverdale followed by my parents Ed & Peg Young and I grew up in the rink, actually had my playpen in the coat room next to the snack bar (yes some roller rinks had coat room where you could check in your coats and shoes).
Riverdale Roller Rink was originally called Riverdale Armory as there National Guard had a unit stationed out of there. The rink was on the third floor (not the second). There was on the side of the building a large two story high garage door and inside it the National guard had a tank, half track and jeeps. The first floor was only seven feet high. After the armory moved out it was renamed Riverdale Roller Rink and it was located on Celestial Court (not East Ave).
The rink floor was 60 x 120 with no floor coating (rosin was put down to prevent wheels from slipping). Floor coating did not become of age until the early 70’s. The floor style was rotunda which was designed by my grandfather and was the original oval floating floor. It was nailed sideways and not down to the subfloor. The corners were rounded so you always skated on the length of the board. The boards were all grooved to keep them in place.
The original rink open as a skating rink on March 31, 1938 on my fathers 17th birthday. Before then some of the locals skated on the rink before the oval floor was put in. The back building housed my grandfathers Novelty Pottery company but that burnt down as well as part of the back of the front building which later housed the skating rink. The local also were the workers that worked at the pottery business. After the fire he redid the rink with the new floor, organ, etc and as I said before, opened on March 31, 1938.
The rink had a big and strong competitive club that also put on a yearly show. However the rink was open to public skating every night except Monday which was reserved for private parties. Tuesday Night was originally penny night where with a certain date penny (changed every week) and a dollar you could skate the season, later it became dime night. Thursday night was family night and the whole family could skate for just $10. Sunday eventually became an all day skate, starting at 1:30PM and ended at 10:00PM. Those entering after 7:00 got a reduced rate.
The rink was actually the old cloth room of the old Natick Mill and there were railroad off track on the far side of the parking lot. Those tracks were taken out and the new rink built there, The cornerstone was laid in 1968 and the rink had it’s unofficial opening on March 31, 1969, the official date of the old rink closing and the new rink opening. The new rink, called New Riverdale Roller Rink now had it’s own driveway that connected to East Ave and the address was 700 East Ave. New Riverdale Roller Rink became Riverdale Roller World with the expansion of the business to another rink in West Bridgewater MA.I operated the rink with my father from 1972, when we opened the rink in West Bridgewater I took over complete management of the Warwick rink and my brother Ted became the manager of the rink in West Bridgewater.
Hope this helps you out,
Richard Young
Quite a bit of those roller dances, figure skating, and they had drama on skates. Kind of like if you remember ice skating shows that go from town to town to town.. like the Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice, and among others did on ice. Roller skating had theirs locally in this town in Rhode Island. Could have made it big on skates if they had to. Had they kept the rink open and had such shows and go national, this is the rink could have made it among other rinks doing shows too. That is my humble opinion. The rink was designated for very serious skaters and strict dress code. They didn't allow open skating.
The rink was located ON the third floor upstairs of this red brick factory like building that was Riverside Armory. Quite interesting a rink upstairs of a building. Not only rink though. A very few other rinks did the same. National Guard occupied first few floors.
They closed in 1969 and reopened at the new location in town. See New Riverdale Roller Rink.
The Interior.
The rink had no floor coating but Rosin coating to prevent skate wheels from slipping as it was Clear coated original oval floating rotunda Maple floor that the wood boards or studs curved. It had columns.
It had rather large windows to light up inside the rink. At night, of course, lights from the ceiling.
The Exterior.
The building looked like a factory but it was an armory. Red brick all around and it had large windows.
Rink Size: 60' x 120' Floor: No floor coating (Rosin coating) Clear coated Maple. Original oval floating. Floor Layout: Rotunda (Curved)
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Demolished: N/A
Type of building: Armory.
Roof: Flat.
Operated: March 31, 1938 to March 30, 1969
Reason for Closure: relocated to the new location.
Wanted: Information regarding exact date of open and closure. Whats the relationship with Riverdale Roller World at same location.
Sources: Facebook, FRRP, blogspot,
© 2019 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
First, it opened in 1938 and ran for 31 years. They had many skaters involved with figure and dance skating.
This rink is not to be confused with Riverdale Roller World. Perhaps at different period of time of operating. It was different because it closed at the building and reopened behind the multi-story brick building.
OK, about the building, it was originally called Riverdale Armory and the rink was on third floor. The other floors were for Rhode Island National Guard. What interesting was they even had a coat room next to the snack bar where skaters can put their coats (and likely shoes) there before putting on their skates. This predates the common lockers rinks had. Many rinks had coatrooms.
I will let Richard Young whose grandfather started this rink speak in his email to me:
My name is Richard Young and my grandfather (Ernest E. Young) started Riverdale followed by my parents Ed & Peg Young and I grew up in the rink, actually had my playpen in the coat room next to the snack bar (yes some roller rinks had coat room where you could check in your coats and shoes).
Riverdale Roller Rink was originally called Riverdale Armory as there National Guard had a unit stationed out of there. The rink was on the third floor (not the second). There was on the side of the building a large two story high garage door and inside it the National guard had a tank, half track and jeeps. The first floor was only seven feet high. After the armory moved out it was renamed Riverdale Roller Rink and it was located on Celestial Court (not East Ave).
The rink floor was 60 x 120 with no floor coating (rosin was put down to prevent wheels from slipping). Floor coating did not become of age until the early 70’s. The floor style was rotunda which was designed by my grandfather and was the original oval floating floor. It was nailed sideways and not down to the subfloor. The corners were rounded so you always skated on the length of the board. The boards were all grooved to keep them in place.
The original rink open as a skating rink on March 31, 1938 on my fathers 17th birthday. Before then some of the locals skated on the rink before the oval floor was put in. The back building housed my grandfathers Novelty Pottery company but that burnt down as well as part of the back of the front building which later housed the skating rink. The local also were the workers that worked at the pottery business. After the fire he redid the rink with the new floor, organ, etc and as I said before, opened on March 31, 1938.
The rink had a big and strong competitive club that also put on a yearly show. However the rink was open to public skating every night except Monday which was reserved for private parties. Tuesday Night was originally penny night where with a certain date penny (changed every week) and a dollar you could skate the season, later it became dime night. Thursday night was family night and the whole family could skate for just $10. Sunday eventually became an all day skate, starting at 1:30PM and ended at 10:00PM. Those entering after 7:00 got a reduced rate.
The rink was actually the old cloth room of the old Natick Mill and there were railroad off track on the far side of the parking lot. Those tracks were taken out and the new rink built there, The cornerstone was laid in 1968 and the rink had it’s unofficial opening on March 31, 1969, the official date of the old rink closing and the new rink opening. The new rink, called New Riverdale Roller Rink now had it’s own driveway that connected to East Ave and the address was 700 East Ave. New Riverdale Roller Rink became Riverdale Roller World with the expansion of the business to another rink in West Bridgewater MA.I operated the rink with my father from 1972, when we opened the rink in West Bridgewater I took over complete management of the Warwick rink and my brother Ted became the manager of the rink in West Bridgewater.
Hope this helps you out,
Richard Young
Quite a bit of those roller dances, figure skating, and they had drama on skates. Kind of like if you remember ice skating shows that go from town to town to town.. like the Ice Follies, Holiday on Ice, and among others did on ice. Roller skating had theirs locally in this town in Rhode Island. Could have made it big on skates if they had to. Had they kept the rink open and had such shows and go national, this is the rink could have made it among other rinks doing shows too. That is my humble opinion. The rink was designated for very serious skaters and strict dress code. They didn't allow open skating.
The rink was located ON the third floor upstairs of this red brick factory like building that was Riverside Armory. Quite interesting a rink upstairs of a building. Not only rink though. A very few other rinks did the same. National Guard occupied first few floors.
They closed in 1969 and reopened at the new location in town. See New Riverdale Roller Rink.
The Interior.
The rink had no floor coating but Rosin coating to prevent skate wheels from slipping as it was Clear coated original oval floating rotunda Maple floor that the wood boards or studs curved. It had columns.
It had rather large windows to light up inside the rink. At night, of course, lights from the ceiling.
The Exterior.
The building looked like a factory but it was an armory. Red brick all around and it had large windows.
Rink Size: 60' x 120' Floor: No floor coating (Rosin coating) Clear coated Maple. Original oval floating. Floor Layout: Rotunda (Curved)
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A Demolished: N/A
Type of building: Armory.
Roof: Flat.
Operated: March 31, 1938 to March 30, 1969
Reason for Closure: relocated to the new location.
Wanted: Information regarding exact date of open and closure. Whats the relationship with Riverdale Roller World at same location.
Sources: Facebook, FRRP, blogspot,
© 2019 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.