Courtesy of Memphis Flyer. True 1950s Googie Architecture, a Mid-Century Modernism architecture. Truly a G-store style for the rink. Leo, the owner and manager of this rink truly over decorated with signs. That way, gets a lot of publicity. It still works today with the sign! It is true. Although last time the rink was opened in February 2006 but the SKATELAND sign remains. This brings to the Memphis style of signage, not Vegas. You can tell the differences. The photo above showed original location.
Pinterest. This was the interior of the original. You are looking at rink from the big window behind the photographer. I do not know why someone would put SKATELAND on there. It was not a postcard. It is a photograph. Sorry it is grainy because it was small photograph (I found a few of this same photograph and all are small. No other photographs of interior like this are shown on the net.. so far.
This is the second location, the relocation of smaller rink opened in 1963. Taken in 2012 because the 5 fire departments fought fire quickly and controlled it well. It was just a roof fire. However, it was closed for good because of water and maybe some fire damages on the floor. They closed it for good then it became something else, now its a glass company.
Likely this was the original location on the north side of Summer Avenue. In more recent times, it was Fred Pharmacy.
You noticed the expansion of the plaza.
You noticed the expansion of the plaza.
Both of Google Map. Noticed now where the original and the new location? Not exactly cross the street says Memphis Flyer. It was more of few doors down off street. The red pins pointed out where the final Skateland that was closed. The other place, the original bigger location on 5010 Summer Ave is where Fred's was located. It is toward upper left side of the photograph.
Commercial Appeal. Railgarten has the slogan. Nice! But that place is not a roller rink! It has a stage as you can see in the photo (not a good picture I think), sand volleyball, etc. I think its a bar. You can see rail cars behind the stage.
Road-Arch. Better picture due to light balance but harder to see the sign! Tree overgrowth is covering the first word, ROLLER. It is now at Railgarten Diner above the stage.
This was where the relocated sign slogan was at the relocated rink before the fire.
Pinterest. Looks like this was THE Skateland Summer before the fire.
Skateland Summer 5010 Summer Ave, Memphis, TN
Skateland Summer 5137 Old Summer Ave, Memphis, TN
Skateland Summer 5137 Old Summer Ave, Memphis, TN
This is the second roller rink that Leo Pieraccini opened. The other being Rainbow Lake Rollerdrome which was just outside of Memphis. This one, Skateland Summer was in town on a road, 5137 Old Summer Ave, Memphis, Tennessee. It was on the north side of the road.
It was 1955 when Leo Pieraccini opened this rink. Just in time before he lost his liquor license for good in 1957 for his Rainbow Lake Complex The Terrace Room Restaurant and the forced to sell that place. Leo had a place after all to look after and this is the place, Skateland Summer.
I am not sure if Rock-n-Roll King Elvis Presley ever skated at this one because he did skate often at the Rainbow Rollerdrome.
But Leo did not keep it long, he sold the building to Big M Store in 1963 as he built a new one cross the street a smaller one. Likely that is when the Skateland sign was relocated as you can see in the color photos. You can see features that would be classified as a rink. Smaller? I do not know why he sold the big one and build a smaller one?
Leo removed the famous signs from the original building after he sold it to the Big M. They were placed on his newer rink in 1963. Only Skateland name and big skate remains even after the fire. The slogan was sold to a bar.
After Big M closed, it became something else then now Fred Pharmacy in a total remodeled front to look very much like 1960s, early 1970s look. Stone wall, and other walls there. But the Segmental Arch is still there.
I assume the cycle of roller skating that was declined pushed Leo to focus on smaller one but also because he was already losing money after the mess at the Rainbow Lake Complex and he had to sell it. No word I can find online about lawsuits but I am sure he faced that with the Rainbow Lake Complex after the fights with sailors and then a DJ party at the Terrace with underaged drinking when 18 was legal age at the time (all states had to raise to 21 in 1985 due to a law to crack down on drunk driving and receive money from the Federal government for highway infrastructure budgets. If not raised, no money)
The Interior.
It must have been massive to start with. Large rink in the middle of the complex which is similar to the Guptil's Arena today would have. Skateland Summer had Steel Trusses of laminated wood upheld a high wooden dome that arched over one of the largest rinks in town. There was A neon signboard mounted on the back wall gave skaters their instructions: “All Skate,” “Trios,” “Reverse,” “Grand March,” and when the session came to an end, “Skates Off.” This was common at rinks in mid-century with such signs. In my days of skating was under Disco era which had no signs. Some rinks kept those on carried over from the organ music days. Rarely some still do that today. (some from Memphis Flyer)
The Exterior.
This is a true Googie Architecture. My favorite style of architecture that was part of Mid-Century Modernism. Maybe a couple of other rinks have that architecture style (not yet for me to find some!) But this was truly Googie's. Many Mid-Century architecture had this style of big arched roofline with large windows as a front wall. Many grocery stores had those. Guptil's Arena is another with this style. I can name many G-stores with this but I am sure many of you have at least one of this architecture style in your town. I am sure every town has this design. In Syracuse, NY, you would have to find that old Leo's Grocery Store in East Syracuse, NY which is now the a Rescue Mission Thrifty Shopper. Also Westhill High School on West Onondaga Street in Syracuse, NY has this style.
This architecture is the most popular Googie's design with a large arch that is sort of a Quonset Hut but not really Quonset Hut. The curve is different. Quonset Huts are more like a barrel shaped Arch similar to Horseshoe Arch but not quite. Googie's arch is more segmental Arch ground to ground without side walls but the side walls are technically present in many cases like this rink and the thrift store and at Westhill as well. The arches in this case are much higher, wider, and bigger than smaller Quonset Huts. Quonset Huts are typically... Aluminum folded while bigger buildings uses different materials.
This is one of the finest design for a roller rink ever in history of modern roller skating since 1865. And the design for this rink was right timing to use this.
The rest of the building were built with flat roofs which enlarged the facility. The arch part was where the rink was. I strongly believe Guptil's Arena had similar floorplan layout and design.
For Guptil's Arena which is still active rink, I recalled I walked in with the owner, walked through the admission, turn right and then saw the huge beautiful wooden floor with large open windows (this was in 1989 while I was in town for my sister's business that I had to ship computers from her school to a location near the rink). And some games were on the left as I was looking toward the rink, then we walked around the rink by walking between the rink rail and the windows. Then we reached other side where there are games, snack bar, and dance center. I believe it was somewhat similar to Skateland. I am not sure. Anybody? Let me know.
The major difference is that the front door in the Skateland was just on the left side where the Arch windows were. Might be eating area and snack bar on the left side where you can see windows in the photo. Right side might be something else I do not know.
This rink was really decorative with three winged quad skates. They have one the biggest, with the name spelled out SKATELAND arched over the roofline where the rink was. The letters were in red and so were the wheels. Boots were in white along with wings. They even have a line, a sort of their own slogan, “Roller Skate for Health.”
It was a common line likely found at many rinks back the days under RSROA and because of the US President's Council on Finesses which recognized roller skating is excellent fitness that everyone would enjoy. The current name is The President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Again the big sign that the glass company decided to keep it there as a landmark but the "Roller Skate for Health" sign was removed in 2016 and is now displayed above the outdoor stage at the Railgarten Diner.
The Stats: ORIGINAL. (North side of Summer Avenue.)
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Maple. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1955. Demolished: Still standing, expanded, now plaza.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss with laminated wood (fake wood), Brick Veneer and Glass-Walled Googie-style Grocery store - like Building.
Roof: Googie style, Arched.
Acres: N/A.
The Stats: Relocated.
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Maple. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1963. Demolished: February 21, 2006 due to a fire
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss with laminated wood (fake wood), Brick Veneer and Glass-Walled Googie-style Grocery store - like Building.
Roof: Googie style, Arched.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- 1955 to 2006.
Reason for Closure: Closed due to roof fire.
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: Do it in the Americas; Facebook fan page; Memphis Flyer; Flickr- signs after the fire in 2006;
Flickr - comments about the fire; Commercial Appeal - slogan at a bar now; Road Arch - the signs;
Date of issue: 29 March 2021.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
It was 1955 when Leo Pieraccini opened this rink. Just in time before he lost his liquor license for good in 1957 for his Rainbow Lake Complex The Terrace Room Restaurant and the forced to sell that place. Leo had a place after all to look after and this is the place, Skateland Summer.
I am not sure if Rock-n-Roll King Elvis Presley ever skated at this one because he did skate often at the Rainbow Rollerdrome.
But Leo did not keep it long, he sold the building to Big M Store in 1963 as he built a new one cross the street a smaller one. Likely that is when the Skateland sign was relocated as you can see in the color photos. You can see features that would be classified as a rink. Smaller? I do not know why he sold the big one and build a smaller one?
Leo removed the famous signs from the original building after he sold it to the Big M. They were placed on his newer rink in 1963. Only Skateland name and big skate remains even after the fire. The slogan was sold to a bar.
After Big M closed, it became something else then now Fred Pharmacy in a total remodeled front to look very much like 1960s, early 1970s look. Stone wall, and other walls there. But the Segmental Arch is still there.
I assume the cycle of roller skating that was declined pushed Leo to focus on smaller one but also because he was already losing money after the mess at the Rainbow Lake Complex and he had to sell it. No word I can find online about lawsuits but I am sure he faced that with the Rainbow Lake Complex after the fights with sailors and then a DJ party at the Terrace with underaged drinking when 18 was legal age at the time (all states had to raise to 21 in 1985 due to a law to crack down on drunk driving and receive money from the Federal government for highway infrastructure budgets. If not raised, no money)
The Interior.
It must have been massive to start with. Large rink in the middle of the complex which is similar to the Guptil's Arena today would have. Skateland Summer had Steel Trusses of laminated wood upheld a high wooden dome that arched over one of the largest rinks in town. There was A neon signboard mounted on the back wall gave skaters their instructions: “All Skate,” “Trios,” “Reverse,” “Grand March,” and when the session came to an end, “Skates Off.” This was common at rinks in mid-century with such signs. In my days of skating was under Disco era which had no signs. Some rinks kept those on carried over from the organ music days. Rarely some still do that today. (some from Memphis Flyer)
The Exterior.
This is a true Googie Architecture. My favorite style of architecture that was part of Mid-Century Modernism. Maybe a couple of other rinks have that architecture style (not yet for me to find some!) But this was truly Googie's. Many Mid-Century architecture had this style of big arched roofline with large windows as a front wall. Many grocery stores had those. Guptil's Arena is another with this style. I can name many G-stores with this but I am sure many of you have at least one of this architecture style in your town. I am sure every town has this design. In Syracuse, NY, you would have to find that old Leo's Grocery Store in East Syracuse, NY which is now the a Rescue Mission Thrifty Shopper. Also Westhill High School on West Onondaga Street in Syracuse, NY has this style.
This architecture is the most popular Googie's design with a large arch that is sort of a Quonset Hut but not really Quonset Hut. The curve is different. Quonset Huts are more like a barrel shaped Arch similar to Horseshoe Arch but not quite. Googie's arch is more segmental Arch ground to ground without side walls but the side walls are technically present in many cases like this rink and the thrift store and at Westhill as well. The arches in this case are much higher, wider, and bigger than smaller Quonset Huts. Quonset Huts are typically... Aluminum folded while bigger buildings uses different materials.
This is one of the finest design for a roller rink ever in history of modern roller skating since 1865. And the design for this rink was right timing to use this.
The rest of the building were built with flat roofs which enlarged the facility. The arch part was where the rink was. I strongly believe Guptil's Arena had similar floorplan layout and design.
For Guptil's Arena which is still active rink, I recalled I walked in with the owner, walked through the admission, turn right and then saw the huge beautiful wooden floor with large open windows (this was in 1989 while I was in town for my sister's business that I had to ship computers from her school to a location near the rink). And some games were on the left as I was looking toward the rink, then we walked around the rink by walking between the rink rail and the windows. Then we reached other side where there are games, snack bar, and dance center. I believe it was somewhat similar to Skateland. I am not sure. Anybody? Let me know.
The major difference is that the front door in the Skateland was just on the left side where the Arch windows were. Might be eating area and snack bar on the left side where you can see windows in the photo. Right side might be something else I do not know.
This rink was really decorative with three winged quad skates. They have one the biggest, with the name spelled out SKATELAND arched over the roofline where the rink was. The letters were in red and so were the wheels. Boots were in white along with wings. They even have a line, a sort of their own slogan, “Roller Skate for Health.”
It was a common line likely found at many rinks back the days under RSROA and because of the US President's Council on Finesses which recognized roller skating is excellent fitness that everyone would enjoy. The current name is The President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.
Again the big sign that the glass company decided to keep it there as a landmark but the "Roller Skate for Health" sign was removed in 2016 and is now displayed above the outdoor stage at the Railgarten Diner.
The Stats: ORIGINAL. (North side of Summer Avenue.)
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Maple. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1955. Demolished: Still standing, expanded, now plaza.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss with laminated wood (fake wood), Brick Veneer and Glass-Walled Googie-style Grocery store - like Building.
Roof: Googie style, Arched.
Acres: N/A.
The Stats: Relocated.
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Maple. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1963. Demolished: February 21, 2006 due to a fire
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss with laminated wood (fake wood), Brick Veneer and Glass-Walled Googie-style Grocery store - like Building.
Roof: Googie style, Arched.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: (Overall)-- 1955 to 2006.
Reason for Closure: Closed due to roof fire.
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: Do it in the Americas; Facebook fan page; Memphis Flyer; Flickr- signs after the fire in 2006;
Flickr - comments about the fire; Commercial Appeal - slogan at a bar now; Road Arch - the signs;
Date of issue: 29 March 2021.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.