Washington Coliseum
Encyclopedia
The Washington Coliseum is an indoor arena
in Washington, D.C.
located at 1132, 1140, and 1146 3rd Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C. It is directly adjacent to the railroad tracks, just north of Union Station
, and bounded by L and M Street
s. It held 7,000 to 9,000 people for events. It hosted the Basketball Association of America
's Washington Capitols
, coached by Red Auerbach
, and the American Basketball Association
's Washington Caps
.
It also was host to many performances and athletic events of varying types, including ice skating, martial arts, ballet, music, circuses, and speeches.
It was the site of the first concert by The Beatles
in the United States
.
of the now defunct Eastern Amateur Hockey League
.
He made his fortune in the ice business.
The first act was Sonja Henie
's Hollywood Ice Revue.
One of its first events was a pro-America rally designed to promote U.S. entry in World War II
, just weeks before Pearl Harbor
.
Jewelry wholesaler Harry G. Lynn bought the arena in 1959 for $1 million, and renamed it the Washington Coliseum the next year.
In 1959, Elijah Muhammad
, gave a speech there.
Earl Lloyd
was the first African American athlete to play for the Washington Capitols', in the National Basketball Association
, here on October 31, 1950.
On February 11, 1964, The Beatles
played their first concert in the United States, less than 48 hours after the band's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show
. Tickets to the show at the Coliseum ranged from $2 to $4. There were 8,092 fans at the concert which was opened by The Chiffons
and Tommy Roe
. The Beatles opened with "Roll Over Beethoven
."
The photograph of Bob Dylan
on the cover of Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
was taken at a concert at Washington Coliseum on November 28, 1965.
In 1967, after a riot during a performance by The Temptations
, concerts were banned.
The building still stands today in the Old City/Near Northeast
near Union Station
, what was formerly known as Swampoodle
. It was used as a trash transfer station by Waste Management
, the company that handles trash disposal for the District of Columbia, from 1994 to 2003.
Waste Management Inc. applied for a demolition permit on May 9, 2003.
The D.C. Preservation League listed on the building in its "Most Endangered Places for 2003".
In order to protect it from efforts to raze the building, it was added to the official protection list of the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board in November 2006. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, on May 17, 2007.
It is a popular spot for graffiti.
It is now used as an indoor parking lot
.
The coliseum is currently owned by Doug Jemal. Redevelopment plans are pending.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
located at 1132, 1140, and 1146 3rd Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C. It is directly adjacent to the railroad tracks, just north of Union Station
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
, and bounded by L and M Street
M Street
M Street can refer to the following streets:*M Street , in Washington, D.C.*M Street in Boston, Massachusetts*M Street in Sacramento, California...
s. It held 7,000 to 9,000 people for events. It hosted the Basketball Association of America
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
's Washington Capitols
Washington Capitols
The Washington Capitols were a charter Basketball Association of America team based in Washington, D.C. The team was coached from 1946 to 1949 by NBA Hall of Famer Red Auerbach....
, coached by Red Auerbach
Red Auerbach
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American basketball coach of the Washington Capitols, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and the Boston Celtics. After he retired from coaching, he served as president and front office executive of the Celtics until his death...
, and the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
's Washington Caps
Washington Caps
The Washington Caps were an American Basketball Association team from 1969 through 1970. The franchise had previously been the Oakland Oaks. From 1970 through 1976 the team played as the Virginia Squires.-Origins:...
.
It also was host to many performances and athletic events of varying types, including ice skating, martial arts, ballet, music, circuses, and speeches.
It was the site of the first concert by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The Uline Ice Arena, which opened in February 1941, was built by Miguel L. "Uncle Mike" Uline for his hockey team, the Washington LionsWashington Lions
The Washington Lions were a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They were founded as a member of the American Hockey League in the 1941–42 season. The Lions played for two seasons, disbanded during World War II. Another Washington Lions team played in the Eastern Hockey League...
of the now defunct Eastern Amateur Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
.
He made his fortune in the ice business.
The first act was Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie was a Norwegian figure skater and film star. She was a three-time Olympic Champion in Ladies Singles, a ten-time World Champion and a six-time European Champion . Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater...
's Hollywood Ice Revue.
One of its first events was a pro-America rally designed to promote U.S. entry in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, just weeks before Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
.
Jewelry wholesaler Harry G. Lynn bought the arena in 1959 for $1 million, and renamed it the Washington Coliseum the next year.
In 1959, Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad
Elijah Muhammad was an African American religious leader, and led the Nation of Islam from 1934 until his death in 1975...
, gave a speech there.
Earl Lloyd
Earl Lloyd
Earl Francis Lloyd is a retired American basketball player. He was the first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association, in the 1950-51 NBA season...
was the first African American athlete to play for the Washington Capitols', in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, here on October 31, 1950.
On February 11, 1964, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
played their first concert in the United States, less than 48 hours after the band's appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
. Tickets to the show at the Coliseum ranged from $2 to $4. There were 8,092 fans at the concert which was opened by The Chiffons
The Chiffons
The Chiffons was an all girl group originating from the Bronx area of New York in 1960.-Biography:The Chiffons were one of the top girl groups of the early 1960s...
and Tommy Roe
Tommy Roe
Tommy Roe is an American pop music singer-songwriter.Best-remembered for his hits "Sheila" and "Dizzy" , critic Bill Dahl wrote that Roe was "widely perceived as one of the archetypal bubblegum artists of the late 1960s, but Roe cut some pretty decent rockers along the way, especially early in his...
. The Beatles opened with "Roll Over Beethoven
Roll Over Beethoven
"Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 hit single by Chuck Berry originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to replace classical music...
."
The photograph of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
on the cover of Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits is the eighth album released by Bob Dylan on Columbia Records, original catalogue number KCS 9643. It contains every Top 40 single Dylan enjoyed through 1967. It peaked at #10 on the pop album chart in the United States, and went to #3 on the album chart in the United...
was taken at a concert at Washington Coliseum on November 28, 1965.
In 1967, after a riot during a performance by The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, concerts were banned.
The building still stands today in the Old City/Near Northeast
Old City/Near Northeast
Near Northeast is a neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C.. It is bounded by North Capitol Street to the west, Florida Avenue to the north, H Street to the south, and 15th Street to the east.-History:...
near Union Station
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
, what was formerly known as Swampoodle
Swampoodle
Swampoodle was an Irish neighborhood in Washington, D.C.. A geographic approximation of its borders would be K Street to the north, G Street to the south, 1st Street NW to the west, and 2nd Street NE to the east. Through the center of it ran the principal branch of Tiber Creek...
. It was used as a trash transfer station by Waste Management
Waste Management, Inc
Waste Management, Inc. is a waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company in North America. Founded in 1894, the company is headquartered in Suite 4000 at the First City Tower in Downtown Houston, Texas, in the United States....
, the company that handles trash disposal for the District of Columbia, from 1994 to 2003.
Waste Management Inc. applied for a demolition permit on May 9, 2003.
The D.C. Preservation League listed on the building in its "Most Endangered Places for 2003".
In order to protect it from efforts to raze the building, it was added to the official protection list of the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board in November 2006. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, on May 17, 2007.
It is a popular spot for graffiti.
It is now used as an indoor parking lot
Parking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
.
The coliseum is currently owned by Doug Jemal. Redevelopment plans are pending.
External links
- Photo Gallery Beatles Concert February 11, 1964
- Cultural Tourism DC: Uline Arena/Washington Coliseum
- Brooks Butler Hays, "Two Year Extension Given to Uline Arena Redevelopment Plans", DC MUD, 9/29/2010