Photo courtesy of Susan A. Miller. In its original form likely before the fire. interesting car there too. Austin? Studbaker? I do not know. Anyway, it did appear differently than the next two photo that has no extension where the front door was. Next one below is Loop Net. After that, Google Maps.
Google Map. Adjusted by Mark Falso. This was taken in 2009. See all trees and grass and bushes grew so big. Clearly no one took care of this as it was abandoned for many years. Final photo above was taken in 2011. Wow, nature grew fast! Now all newly constructed residential houses.
South Portland Rollerdrome 56 Thadeus Street, South Portland, ME
Happy Wheels Skate Center 56 Thadeus Street, South Portland, ME
Happy Wheels Skate Center 56 Thadeus Street, South Portland, ME
The very unique rink was once held on Thadeus Street in Livermore Falls, Maine. It had its humble beginning in 1955 and ran for 25 years even with the fire they had in 1965. But they held on strong.
It began with as South Portland Rollerdrome. The name does not mean they are in Livermore Falls. Well. they were actually in South Portland, Maine. I had to further research and found the address to be 56 Thadeus Street, South Portland, Maine but there is no Thadeus in Livermore Falls. And I end up the address to be residential section of Thadeus. Confusing, I know! You can see for yourself here in this link how I got information: South Portland. When you do click then you will see the first page of all dates and short articles. You will need to go down to page 13 out of 28 (almost half way through) and you will see about the rink and what became of after that. And I see most recent name the Wordwrap Service Corporation and I found bit more information about that company and then I found the address to be 56 Thadeus Street, South Portland. Now, I looked on the map after that search and found nothing!
This is a mystery about the address! And the map could be wrong. For sure it is wrong. Anyone, please tell me where exactly it was and if you can snap shot the map and circle where. Oh, when I was sitting and thinking, gotta think like that TV character who is very creative with his pocket knife and all. Me, with the keyboard. OK, its not on the newer maps anymore. They torn it down in between 2011 and 2015. Clearly Wordwrap Service Corporation closed and revoked according to Bizapedia. Clearly that company closed there in around that time.
Now I can explain about the former rink. Like I said it was opened in 1955 but 10 years later they had a fire according to the South Portland Historical Society. It was owned by William Faulkingham.
They mentioned a fire at the rink in the Portland Press Herald on April 3, 1965. The photo I see apparently showed it was truly a major fire. Reminded me of a fire at another rink in Maryland that was totaled in the fire. That Maryland rink was upstairs above the bowling alley and was an AOW franchise.
After South Portland Rollerdrome was sold to the owners of Happy Wheels, this rink became Happy Wheels Skate Center of South Portland. Then closed for good, then other businesses came and went in that building including final business- Wordwrap Service Corporation which they ceased operations as well. After Happy Wheels, it was Jacobson Auto Supply from roughly 1982 to 1984; Harbor Parties, a Tupperware sales rep company from 1984 to 1998; then the final tenant- Wordwrap Service Corporation, a dealer of computers, equipment and furniture.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
It was an arched-curved dome cinderblock walled building. It was surrounded houses and merely a block away from two directions of where commercial buildings were.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: 5,000 SF. Built: Original - 1955, rebuilt 1965.
Demolished: Fire April 2, 1965 and the rebuilt demolished after 2011.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: 1955 to April 1965, late 1965 to 1981.
South Portland Rollerdrome: 1955 to April 2, 1965, rebuilt and reopened 1965 to 1979..
Happy Wheels: 1979 to 1981.
Reason for Closure:
South Portland Rollerdrome: N/A. .
Happy Wheels: N/A.
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: Manta - Wordwrap Service Corporation; Bizapedia - Wordwrap Service Corporation;
South Portland Historical Society - SP Rollerdrome; Loop Net; South Portland Historical; Portland Press Herald on April 3, 1965;
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
It began with as South Portland Rollerdrome. The name does not mean they are in Livermore Falls. Well. they were actually in South Portland, Maine. I had to further research and found the address to be 56 Thadeus Street, South Portland, Maine but there is no Thadeus in Livermore Falls. And I end up the address to be residential section of Thadeus. Confusing, I know! You can see for yourself here in this link how I got information: South Portland. When you do click then you will see the first page of all dates and short articles. You will need to go down to page 13 out of 28 (almost half way through) and you will see about the rink and what became of after that. And I see most recent name the Wordwrap Service Corporation and I found bit more information about that company and then I found the address to be 56 Thadeus Street, South Portland. Now, I looked on the map after that search and found nothing!
This is a mystery about the address! And the map could be wrong. For sure it is wrong. Anyone, please tell me where exactly it was and if you can snap shot the map and circle where. Oh, when I was sitting and thinking, gotta think like that TV character who is very creative with his pocket knife and all. Me, with the keyboard. OK, its not on the newer maps anymore. They torn it down in between 2011 and 2015. Clearly Wordwrap Service Corporation closed and revoked according to Bizapedia. Clearly that company closed there in around that time.
Now I can explain about the former rink. Like I said it was opened in 1955 but 10 years later they had a fire according to the South Portland Historical Society. It was owned by William Faulkingham.
They mentioned a fire at the rink in the Portland Press Herald on April 3, 1965. The photo I see apparently showed it was truly a major fire. Reminded me of a fire at another rink in Maryland that was totaled in the fire. That Maryland rink was upstairs above the bowling alley and was an AOW franchise.
After South Portland Rollerdrome was sold to the owners of Happy Wheels, this rink became Happy Wheels Skate Center of South Portland. Then closed for good, then other businesses came and went in that building including final business- Wordwrap Service Corporation which they ceased operations as well. After Happy Wheels, it was Jacobson Auto Supply from roughly 1982 to 1984; Harbor Parties, a Tupperware sales rep company from 1984 to 1998; then the final tenant- Wordwrap Service Corporation, a dealer of computers, equipment and furniture.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
It was an arched-curved dome cinderblock walled building. It was surrounded houses and merely a block away from two directions of where commercial buildings were.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: 5,000 SF. Built: Original - 1955, rebuilt 1965.
Demolished: Fire April 2, 1965 and the rebuilt demolished after 2011.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: 1955 to April 1965, late 1965 to 1981.
South Portland Rollerdrome: 1955 to April 2, 1965, rebuilt and reopened 1965 to 1979..
Happy Wheels: 1979 to 1981.
Reason for Closure:
South Portland Rollerdrome: N/A. .
Happy Wheels: N/A.
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: Manta - Wordwrap Service Corporation; Bizapedia - Wordwrap Service Corporation;
South Portland Historical Society - SP Rollerdrome; Loop Net; South Portland Historical; Portland Press Herald on April 3, 1965;
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.