Photo courtesy of Andrea Wendley on PInterest (postcard).
Photo Courtesy of Forgotten Roller Rinks of the Past.
Skate Haven Roller Rink, 1830 Abbott Road, Lackawanna, New York
Skate Haven Roller Rink was located in Lackawanna in Greater Buffalo, NY area. It was housed in a classic 1950s architecture that had a two storys tall brick building with 1950s style windows. The subway brick style windows. Not that small! The other part of the building was one story. The one story is up-front of the building. It was 1960s style rink building that lacked the arched roof in pre-1960s. Many rinks already were dropping that arched roof for the modernism look. However, it was standard mid-Century modern, not very Googie or whatever but it was a minimalist themed exterior as shown in photos. That is because they all were straight lines. The building appeared to be designed in mid to late 1950s so apparently the rink was perhaps opened in late 1950s. Similar architecturally would be found at the original design at Sports-O-Rama Roller Rink in Mattydale which was open in 1959. It had that late 1950s Minimalist theme. Subway brick style windows, low slung roofs, tall roofs. A bit of cubist. It was common in architecture for that era that came and went before the browning of America Architecture of 1965.
There is no date of open however. Only the photos may be helpful. Unless anyone has an answer and I will add. In one of the photos, the black and white photo, you could not tell what color the popular bricks were. Each decade, a certain brick set of colors would be popular. Earthtone would be 1965 to 1985. Red is after 1985 but also before 1965. However, it was a bit more orangey red in pre-1965 according to observations I made on brick homes, buildings, etc. Red and ash white red were also common in pre 1965.
The photo helps a little bit. It is set between 1955 and 1965.
Skate Haven was simply a rink that had rows of movie theater seats facing the rink as seen in the postcard photo. Colorful tube lights. high ceiling. Likely that 2 storys section. Exposed and common heating and air-conditioning systems hanging above the rink. It was quite common in mid-Century right up to 1970s.
In the postcard, it showed colored walls. Two tones of blues with darker blue on bottom part. Exposed truss beams, and exposed HVAC systems. All consistent of 1950s look. It looks more like a gym in that rink because of simple design. Remember, no murals at the time.
Wood rink floor and even non-rink floor was also wood. A carry over from pre-War era of roller rinks that wood floor throughout.
The rink lasted till sometime in 1980s, likely after Roller Disco died down in 1983. So, now the building is still there but it has been converted entirely into a banquet hall for weddings and formal parties from what I seen on Yelp and this website this current owner owns.
The only retain left is the wooden floor for the dance floor at the banquet hall. They installed the carpet. Perhaps the floor is still there under the carpet. And made into a fancy restaurant. It sure look good food! The exterior was painted all chalkboard black hue-ish.
Anyway, its sad that rink is gone but the building is in different use today.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Wood Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Cinderblock and Brick Veneer Building.
Roof: Flat, multi-level.
Acres: N/A
Operations: 1950s? to 1980s?
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: More information and photos. All I have is a photo or two!
Sources: Pinterest, Forgotten Roller Rinks of the Past, and Yelp and Lucarelli's.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
Skate Haven Roller Rink was located in Lackawanna in Greater Buffalo, NY area. It was housed in a classic 1950s architecture that had a two storys tall brick building with 1950s style windows. The subway brick style windows. Not that small! The other part of the building was one story. The one story is up-front of the building. It was 1960s style rink building that lacked the arched roof in pre-1960s. Many rinks already were dropping that arched roof for the modernism look. However, it was standard mid-Century modern, not very Googie or whatever but it was a minimalist themed exterior as shown in photos. That is because they all were straight lines. The building appeared to be designed in mid to late 1950s so apparently the rink was perhaps opened in late 1950s. Similar architecturally would be found at the original design at Sports-O-Rama Roller Rink in Mattydale which was open in 1959. It had that late 1950s Minimalist theme. Subway brick style windows, low slung roofs, tall roofs. A bit of cubist. It was common in architecture for that era that came and went before the browning of America Architecture of 1965.
There is no date of open however. Only the photos may be helpful. Unless anyone has an answer and I will add. In one of the photos, the black and white photo, you could not tell what color the popular bricks were. Each decade, a certain brick set of colors would be popular. Earthtone would be 1965 to 1985. Red is after 1985 but also before 1965. However, it was a bit more orangey red in pre-1965 according to observations I made on brick homes, buildings, etc. Red and ash white red were also common in pre 1965.
The photo helps a little bit. It is set between 1955 and 1965.
Skate Haven was simply a rink that had rows of movie theater seats facing the rink as seen in the postcard photo. Colorful tube lights. high ceiling. Likely that 2 storys section. Exposed and common heating and air-conditioning systems hanging above the rink. It was quite common in mid-Century right up to 1970s.
In the postcard, it showed colored walls. Two tones of blues with darker blue on bottom part. Exposed truss beams, and exposed HVAC systems. All consistent of 1950s look. It looks more like a gym in that rink because of simple design. Remember, no murals at the time.
Wood rink floor and even non-rink floor was also wood. A carry over from pre-War era of roller rinks that wood floor throughout.
The rink lasted till sometime in 1980s, likely after Roller Disco died down in 1983. So, now the building is still there but it has been converted entirely into a banquet hall for weddings and formal parties from what I seen on Yelp and this website this current owner owns.
The only retain left is the wooden floor for the dance floor at the banquet hall. They installed the carpet. Perhaps the floor is still there under the carpet. And made into a fancy restaurant. It sure look good food! The exterior was painted all chalkboard black hue-ish.
Anyway, its sad that rink is gone but the building is in different use today.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Wood Floor Layout: N/A
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Cinderblock and Brick Veneer Building.
Roof: Flat, multi-level.
Acres: N/A
Operations: 1950s? to 1980s?
Reason for Closure: N/A
Wanted: More information and photos. All I have is a photo or two!
Sources: Pinterest, Forgotten Roller Rinks of the Past, and Yelp and Lucarelli's.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.