Rhode Island Auditorium was an indoor arena in Providence, Rhode Island, at 1111 North Main Street. It hosted the NBA's Providence Steamrollers from 1946 until 1949, and the Providence Reds ice hockey team until the Providence Civic Center (now the Amica Mutual Pavilion) was opened in 1972.[3]
The Arena, The Main Event, Providence Auditorium | |
 Plaque commemorating the former site of the Rhode Island Auditorium. | |
 | |
| Location | 1111 North Main Street, Providence, Rhode Island |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°51′2.34″N 71°24′6.34″W / 41.8506500°N 71.4017611°W |
| Owner | Hubert Milot, Louis A. R. Pieri(1938–1967) |
| Operator | Louis A. R. Pieri (Manager, 1929) |
| Capacity | 5,300 |
| Scoreboard | Yes |
| Construction | |
| Opened | February 18, 1926 |
| Demolished | 1989[1] |
| Tenants | |
| Providence Reds (AHL) (1926–1972) Providence Steamrollers (NBA) (1946–1949)[2] Providence Friars (NCAA) (1952–1973) | |
Description and history
editThe arena held 5,300 people and opened in 1926. Through the years, a myriad of events including the Ice Capades, public skating, boxing, concerts, and religious events were held at the old barn. The venue hosted 28 of Rocky Marciano's 49 fights over a 4-year span, from July 12, 1948 (his second fight) to May 12, 1952 (his 41st), just four months before winning the heavyweight title by beating Jersey Joe Walcott in Philadelphia. After the Reds departed for the downtown Civic Center, the Auditorium, for a time, became a tennis venue.[2]
At the height of the Great Depression in 1932, the arena faced financial ruin. Industrialist and Rhode Island hockey legend Malcolm Greene Chace rescued the auditorium from foreclosure.[4]
In 1969, a concert by Sly and the Family Stone at the auditorium was followed by a riot. This led mayor Joseph A. Doorley to ban all rock concerts in Providence; the ban only lasted for a few months.[5]
It was torn down in 1989 and parking affiliated with The Miriam Hospital now occupies the site. In 2009, the Rhode Island Reds Heritage Society, a group formed to commemorate the hockey team, marked the site with a plaque commemorating the team's existence.[1]
Concert dates
edit| Date | Band | Opening Act(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 3, 1965 | The Rolling Stones | ||
| August 14, 1967 | Herman's Hermits | The Who | |
| July 18, 1968 | The Who | ||
| November 4, 1968 | Cream | The Terry Reid Group | [6] |
| November 17, 1968 | Jimi Hendrix | ||
| May 17, 1969 | Jimi Hendrix | Buddy Miles Express, Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys | [7] |
| June 9, 1970 | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | Country Funk | [8] |
| April 21, 1971 | The Grateful Dead | [9] | |
| July 15, 1971 | Creedence Clearwater Revival | [10] | |
| August 13–14, 1971 | Chicago |
See also
edit- Valley Arena Gardens, a similar venue of the era based in Holyoke, Massachusetts
References
edit- ^ a b "With puck and pluck: Documentary tells the story of the Rhode Island Reds hockey team". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ a b "AIR Historical :: RI Auditorium". Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ "RI Auditorium". www.rirocks.net. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
- ^ "Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame". Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame. Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 4 September 2019. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
- ^ Stanton, Mike (2003). The Prince of Providence. New York: Random House. pp. 29, 32.
- ^ "The Clock That Went Backwards Again: Cream – 1968-11-04 – Providence". August 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ "the jimi hendrix encyclopedia - jimihendrix.com". Retrieved 29 November 2009.
- ^ "RI Rocks". Retrieved 25 December 2016.
- ^ "Grateful Dead Rhode Island Auditorium - April 21, 1971".
- ^ "Lot Detail - Creedence Clearwater Revival Original 1971 Concert Poster".
External links
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