Turner Hall Roller Rink 1034 North Fourth Street, Milwaukee, WI. Taken in 1994. Brr! Look all that snow. Source: Turner Hall Landmark Preservation Application.
Turner Hall Roller Rink 1034 North Fourth Street, Milwaukee, WI. The interior taken in 1994. They restored some but left some for historic look. Source: Turner Hall Landmark Preservation Application.
Turner Hall Roller Rink 1034 North Fourth Street, Milwaukee, WI. The exterior today. It is being used as historic landmark with a ballroom for weddings and other events. They restored pretty much by placing new windows in that was taken out sometime ago. Also restore more granular frontage by the front door. Source: Wikipedia.
Turner Hall Roller Rink 1034 North Fourth Street, Milwaukee, WI. The beautiful interior today. They restored some but left some for historic look. Source: Turner Hall Photo Collection.
Turner Hall Roller Rink 1034 North Fourth Street, Milwaukee, WI
Turner Hall Roller Rink 1034 North Fourth Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin was technically the first true Turner Hall which was built in 1855. This is the location where the city had first roller skating rink. It was technically a ballroom and skating rink.
Later the building was replaced by West Side Turner Hall (see that profile) in 1868. It only ran from 1855 to 1868 for this location. The reason for the change of location and new business name is because of the size. West Side Turner Hall was 20,000 Square Feet roller skating rink! One of the largest at the time. (Same size as the Olympic Hockey Rink size or KHL, NOT NHL size).
It was on the same site the Milwaukee Theatre Stands today. Apparently they had short lived because of the growth and popularity of both roller skating as a new sport and ballroom dancing was rising in popularity.
The original Turner Hall may had the floor as roller rink just for a couple of years because of Inventor James Plimpton who had perfected roller skating and patented it in 1863. Likely by 1865, roller skating reached this far.
As for the building's name, it was not named after a person but rather, a German word, Turnen meaning Gym or Physical Fitness.. like today's Fitness Center. It was a fitness center at the time but it was for a group called American Turners, a German-American athletic, cultural, and political association. That political leaning was Socialism.
The Turner Society in Milwaukee grew and by the 1880s they needed a new meeting hall. And as result, built the Hall (I believe that is the new true Turner Hall. I am aware there are websites gets you confused because they have had several of them. So, there will be errors on my part and I apologize. I did my best. You can clear it up for me here and will copy and paste your emails.)
The interior includes a ballroom with balcony level --this is the level where the roller rink was, a restaurant and a beer hall and several meeting rooms. A gymnasium with modernized facilities is located in the building basement.
It may be Milwaukee Theater but it still stands today as a National Historic Landmark in 1996. NRHP reference No. 77000041
The Interior.
Unknown but likely had Maple or similar hard wood floor. Originally for ballroom dancing, it was used for roller rink. Here is the reason for the closure at the time: The ballroom was closed in 1933 after a fire started in the area behind the stage and extended into the ballroom which damaged it. Original stencils, carved grills, balustrades and three gilded gas "Sunlights" two about eight feet in diameter remain. The vaulted coved ceilings enhance the acoustics in the room.
However, after it was landmarked, they perhaps had funds coming in to repair and it is open today. You can request if you can see the original roller rink in that ballroom! One of the earliest still exist today!
I can see the floor was much wider planks than modern day Maple floor. it is Straight layout.
There is a 31-foot by 56-foot raked stage on the east end and an expansive balcony that sweeps around the west and north ends.
The Exterior.
The historic building is a High Victorian Romanesque Revival, Rundbogenstil designed by Henry C. Koch who was the architect. Limestone and Bricks- Walled Community Hall-like building with several floors. It is worth a visit.
The Stats:
Rink Size: 7000 SF (measured as ballroom) with pitched stage. Floor: Wide Plank Maple? Floor Layout: Straight.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1882. Renovations: 1899 (addition). Demolished: Had fires in 1933 and 1941 but Still standing, historical place.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel(?) Trusses Limestone and Bricks- Walled Community Hall-like building.
Architectural style: High Victorian Romanesque Revival, Rundbogenstil.
Roof: Victorian Hip Mix.
Acres: N/A.
NRHP reference No. 77000041. PDF
Architect: Henry C. Koch
Operated: (Overall)-- 1860s to 1933, reopened in 2000 to present (the hall)
Roller Skating: 1860s to 1880s.
Turner Hall: 1860s to 1933, reopened in 21st Century to present (the hall)
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Roller Skating: Relocated to West Side Turner Hall.
Turner Hall: In 1933, fire forced to close and due to lack of funds, fire again during 1943, lack of fund forced closure for many decades. In 1930s and 1940s, a very strong anti-German in the United States due to activities of the Socialism and Nazism in Germany, and Anti-Communism and Anti-Socialism in 1950s and early 1960s also hampered their funds to restore the fire burned ballroom. But reopened in year 2000.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you. You can also use this form.
Sources:
Encyclopedia of Milwaukee - Excellent history of that city roller skating!
NRHP reference No. 77000041. PDF
Nomination for landmark (24 pages). (note- it is a 24 page application).
Wikipedia - Turner Hall.
Nomination of landmark photos (total 9 pictures) All in Black-and-White.
Worth to visit:
Turner Hall Ballroom.
Date of issue: 05 January 2022.
For office use only:
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.
Later the building was replaced by West Side Turner Hall (see that profile) in 1868. It only ran from 1855 to 1868 for this location. The reason for the change of location and new business name is because of the size. West Side Turner Hall was 20,000 Square Feet roller skating rink! One of the largest at the time. (Same size as the Olympic Hockey Rink size or KHL, NOT NHL size).
It was on the same site the Milwaukee Theatre Stands today. Apparently they had short lived because of the growth and popularity of both roller skating as a new sport and ballroom dancing was rising in popularity.
The original Turner Hall may had the floor as roller rink just for a couple of years because of Inventor James Plimpton who had perfected roller skating and patented it in 1863. Likely by 1865, roller skating reached this far.
As for the building's name, it was not named after a person but rather, a German word, Turnen meaning Gym or Physical Fitness.. like today's Fitness Center. It was a fitness center at the time but it was for a group called American Turners, a German-American athletic, cultural, and political association. That political leaning was Socialism.
The Turner Society in Milwaukee grew and by the 1880s they needed a new meeting hall. And as result, built the Hall (I believe that is the new true Turner Hall. I am aware there are websites gets you confused because they have had several of them. So, there will be errors on my part and I apologize. I did my best. You can clear it up for me here and will copy and paste your emails.)
The interior includes a ballroom with balcony level --this is the level where the roller rink was, a restaurant and a beer hall and several meeting rooms. A gymnasium with modernized facilities is located in the building basement.
It may be Milwaukee Theater but it still stands today as a National Historic Landmark in 1996. NRHP reference No. 77000041
The Interior.
Unknown but likely had Maple or similar hard wood floor. Originally for ballroom dancing, it was used for roller rink. Here is the reason for the closure at the time: The ballroom was closed in 1933 after a fire started in the area behind the stage and extended into the ballroom which damaged it. Original stencils, carved grills, balustrades and three gilded gas "Sunlights" two about eight feet in diameter remain. The vaulted coved ceilings enhance the acoustics in the room.
However, after it was landmarked, they perhaps had funds coming in to repair and it is open today. You can request if you can see the original roller rink in that ballroom! One of the earliest still exist today!
I can see the floor was much wider planks than modern day Maple floor. it is Straight layout.
There is a 31-foot by 56-foot raked stage on the east end and an expansive balcony that sweeps around the west and north ends.
The Exterior.
The historic building is a High Victorian Romanesque Revival, Rundbogenstil designed by Henry C. Koch who was the architect. Limestone and Bricks- Walled Community Hall-like building with several floors. It is worth a visit.
The Stats:
Rink Size: 7000 SF (measured as ballroom) with pitched stage. Floor: Wide Plank Maple? Floor Layout: Straight.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1882. Renovations: 1899 (addition). Demolished: Had fires in 1933 and 1941 but Still standing, historical place.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel(?) Trusses Limestone and Bricks- Walled Community Hall-like building.
Architectural style: High Victorian Romanesque Revival, Rundbogenstil.
Roof: Victorian Hip Mix.
Acres: N/A.
NRHP reference No. 77000041. PDF
Architect: Henry C. Koch
Operated: (Overall)-- 1860s to 1933, reopened in 2000 to present (the hall)
Roller Skating: 1860s to 1880s.
Turner Hall: 1860s to 1933, reopened in 21st Century to present (the hall)
Reason for Closure: N/A.
Roller Skating: Relocated to West Side Turner Hall.
Turner Hall: In 1933, fire forced to close and due to lack of funds, fire again during 1943, lack of fund forced closure for many decades. In 1930s and 1940s, a very strong anti-German in the United States due to activities of the Socialism and Nazism in Germany, and Anti-Communism and Anti-Socialism in 1950s and early 1960s also hampered their funds to restore the fire burned ballroom. But reopened in year 2000.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you. You can also use this form.
Sources:
Encyclopedia of Milwaukee - Excellent history of that city roller skating!
NRHP reference No. 77000041. PDF
Nomination for landmark (24 pages). (note- it is a 24 page application).
Wikipedia - Turner Hall.
Nomination of landmark photos (total 9 pictures) All in Black-and-White.
Worth to visit:
Turner Hall Ballroom.
Date of issue: 05 January 2022.
For office use only:
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.