Philadelphia Arena
| Location | 4530 Market Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Capacity | 5,526 6,500 (76ers 1966) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | February 14, 1920 |
| Closed | August 24, 1983 (fire) |
| Demolished | August 24, 1983 |
| Tenants | |
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Penn Quakers Ice Hockey (1920–22) Philadelphia Arrows (C-AHL) (1927–35) Philadelphia Quakers (NHL) (1930–31) Philadelphia Comets (T-SHL) (1932–33) Philadelphia Ramblers (C-AHL/I-AHL/AHL) (1935–41) Philadelphia Falcons (EAHL) (1942–46; 1951) Philadelphia Rockets (AHL) (1946–49) Philadelphia Ramblers (EHL) (1955–64) Philadelphia Warriors (BAA/NBA) (1946–62, part-time 1952–1962) Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) (1963–67, part-time) Philadelphia Kings (CBA) (1980–81) |
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The Philadelphia Arena was an arena used mainly for sporting events located in Philadelphia.
The building, originally named the Philadelphia Ice Palace and Auditorium, was located at 4530 Market Street, next to what would become the WFIL TV studio which broadcast American Bandstand. It was built by George F. Pawling, of George F. Pawling & Co., Engineers and Contractors, and opened on Saturday, February 14, 1920. The first event was two nights later, Monday, February 16, 1920, a college hockey game between Yale and Princeton Tigers; the Bulldogs won, 4–0, before a crowd of over 4,000 despite the fact that the arena had only one small entrance at the time.
One of the first teams to make the Arena home was the Yale University men's ice hockey team. Yale did not have a suitable on-campus venue in 1920 and played home games in Philadelphia. During the 1920–1921 season, Yale, Princeton, and Penn made the Arena their home ice.
Jules Mastbaum, owner of a movie theater chain (The Stanley Company of America), acquired the building in 1925 and renamed it the Arena. In 1927 the Arena was purchased by Rudy Fried and Maurice Fishman who operated the facility until 1934, when their partnership was placed in receivership. In 1929, Peter A. Tyrrell (1896–1973) joined the Arena as boxing matchmaker and subsequently became the facility's publicist. In 1934 Tyrrell was named a friendly receiver-in-equity by George Welsh, a federal judge. Tyrrell became general manager of the Arena and served in that capacity until 1958, returning the corporation to profitability and enriching the variety of public entertainment.
The arena was the site of several historic sporting events, including the professional debut of Sonja Henie, fresh from her triumph in the 1936 Winter Olympics. Roy Rogers, cowboy movie star, performed in his first rodeo at the Philadelphia arena in 1943. The Roy Rogers Rodeo played the Arena every season for more than 20 years, and in 1946, when a young cowgirl died after riding a bucking bronco, her funeral was held there. Rogers and the Sons of Pioneers sang "Roundup in the Sky", and after the closing prayer, everybody rode out to the cemetery. It was also the home of the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association Banquet. Professionally, the arena was the home of the Philadelphia Quakers of the NHL in their only season, 1930–1931, as well as home ice for several minor league hockey teams such as the Philadelphia Arrows, Philadelphia Ramblers, the Philadelphia Comets, the Philadelphia Falcons/Philadelphia Rockets and the Philadelphia Ramblers (EHL), as well as the Philadelphia Warriors and part-time home of the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA when the Philadelphia Convention Center was unavailable.
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