North Avenue Ice Palace

The North Avenue Ice Palace in Baltimore, Maryland, United States was one of the first examples of an indoor artificial ice rink in North America. It was located on North Avenue between Charles Street and Lovegrove Alley and extended north to 20th Street. It was constructed by the Arctic Skating Company, managed by Gerald T. Hopkins, The ice rink was used for pleasure skating and ice sports, including early games of ice hockey.
The artificial ice was constructed by laying several layers of waterproof paper and wool. On top of this was built a 4-inch tall watertight pan, which held the water. In the pan were three and one-half miles of one and a half inch pipe which held ammonia, cooled below the freezing point of water. The cold pipes then caused the ice to freeze. The construction of the rink had been opposed by local churches in the area that were concerned about the noise made by the crowds enjoying the facility.
The building opened on December 26, 1894, and featured a seven-per-side game of ice hockey between a team of Johns Hopkins University students and players from the Baltimore Athletic Club. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. This was the first game of ice hockey played on a sheet of artificial ice and was one of the first in the United States. The game was 60 minutes, with two halves of 30 minutes. Attendance for the opening and game was recorded as about 2,500.
On February 14, 1896, the rink hosted what is considered the first intercollegiate game of ice hockey in the United States, a game between Yale University and Johns Hopkins. Yale, captained by Malcolm Chace, won the game 2–1, with Chace scoring both goals. The teams played six-per-side, (minus the rover) making the game an early instance of six-per-side hockey. 
For four seasons (1894–95 to 1897–98) the rink hosted the Baltimore Hockey League.
The facility was used for other events than ice hockey and pleasure skating outside of the winter months. In April 1897, the Baltimore Kennel Association held a dog show at the facility. A programme of vaudeville was held at the Palace in June and July 1898.
In November 1898, the ice machinery was removed and the surface changed for roller skating and roller hockey. In 1899, the building was sold by trustee at auction on October 31, 1899 for $38,000. It was resold for $65,000 then sold again in 1900 to the United Milk Producer's Association of Baltimore which bought the facility to be used for manufacturing and storage. 
In 1932, the "Sports Centre" ice rink was built on the location of the old ice rink by the Casino Amusement Corporation. The new facility was equipped for ice hockey, basketball, wrestling and boxing; seating 2,500 for ice hockey and 4,000 for boxing and wrestling. The Sports Centre operated until 1956 when it was bought by Equitable Trust and razed to provide a parking lot for its customers.
==Selection of ice hockey teams which played at the North Avenue Ice Palace==
File:Johns Hopkins University hockey team, 1895–96.jpg|Johns Hopkins University hockey team in 1895–96
File:Baltimore Hockey Club.jpg|Baltimore Hockey Club in 1896–97
File:University of Maryland Hockey Team.jpg|University of Maryland hockey team in 1896–97
==References==
==External links==
* Baltimore Hockey History: First Artificial Ice
Category:Arenas in the United States