Palmer's Palace Rink Block

Rochester merchant Louis E. Palmer broke ground in November 1884 for a roller skating rink on the south half of Lot 49 of the Original Plat of the Village of Rochester; today, the original rink building has been partitioned into three sections comprising the street addresses of 409, 411 and 413 S. Main.

Roller skating was a popular craze during the mid-1880s when Louis Palmer decided to open his rink on Main Street. By this time, mass-production of skates made them readily available to the general public. The Rochester Era announced Palmer's plan on November 20, 1884, with this item:

"L.E. Palmer has broken ground for a brick skating rink on Main st. adjoining his new store on the north [his new store was the building at 405-407 S. Main, which he had built in 1883]. The skating floor will be 45x110 ft. in the clear, with truss-roof, so that nothing will interfere with the skaters. In addition there will be an office and spectators gallery 15x50 ft. and a barber shop of the same dimensions."

The completed rink was named "Palmer's Palace Rink" and was described in the Rochester Era issue of February 13, 1885, as follows:

"Palmer has christened his new roller rink, "Palmer's Palace Rink" and it is certainly worthy of the name. It has a clear skating surface of 45x100 ft., with one of the best floors in the State, the high ceilings and walls nicely kalsamined [i.e. kalsomine: a whitewash type of paint] in colors, and all its arrangements complete, including office, cloak room and gallery."

The article went on to comment on the construction of the building:

"Mr. C.O. Chipman, who has done much of the planning not only of this rink, but has superintended all the work upon it is entitled to lots of credit for the neat and substantial manner in which he has accomplished his task." (Cyrus O. Chipman was a local carpenter and a grandson of Dr. Cyrus Chipman, a pioneer settler of Rochester and Revolutionary War soldier.)

The same newspaper issue noted in another item that the grand opening of the rink would feature the eighteen-piece Rochester Cornet Band.

In addition to roller skating, Palmer's Palace Rink offered dances and vaudeville-type entertainment. It hosted large social gatherings, as the village did not yet have a theatre or opera house.

In 1886, Palmer partitioned the southeast corner of the rink into a separate store for his jewelry business (later known as 409 S. Main). The newspaper reported:

"Workmen are engaged in building a room off from the Palace Rink on the southeast corner, to be used as a jeweler shop by Palmer. On the corner now occupied by Palmer, another room will be built to be used as a barber shop by John Hartwell. Although these to [sic] rooms will be taken off from the rink, there will still be left plenty of room for all practical purposes."

In 1887, another store was partitioned off the front of the rink, presumably the northeast corner, to make a second barber shop. The Era reported on May 27, 1887:

"A room is being fitted up in the front part of the rink for Harry Wiley, as a barber shop, alongside John Hartwell's."

By 1890, Sanborn maps indicate that the front section of the rink, along the Main Street side, had been partitioned into the three stores we know today as 409, 411 and 413 S. Main, and the remainder of the rink building, to the rear, was being used as a dance and recreation hall. By 1919, Sanborn maps indicate that the rear portion of the rink building was gone, with only the front portion remaining, divided into three storefronts, while an ice house and other outbuildings had been erected on the back of the lot.

Businesses that have occupied the southeast corner of the rink building at 409 S. Main include Louis Palmer's Jewelry Store in 1886, Carpenter's Men's Wear in the 1920s, the Purity Liquid Malt Co. in 1932, the L.C. Scott Appliance Store in 1936, the Pauline Palmer Jewelry Store in the 1950s (daughter of Louis E. Palmer), Lamoreaux Jewelry Store in the late 1950s, and from 1961 until 2017, the building was occupied by Heller's Jewelry. Heller's closed at the end of 2017 and in 2018, the building became the home of the Bizzy Buzz Artisan Market.

The portion of the rink building known today as 411 S. Main appears to have been the barber shop referred to in the newspaper account as John Hartwell's barber shop. A barber pole can be seen in early photos of the building. Later, 411 S. Main was occupied around 1900 by George Axford's store, by Miller's Bakery in the 1920s and 1930s, by L.C. Scott's Appliance Store in the 1930s and 1940s, by Rochester Refrigeration and Clarence's Appliances in the 1950s and early1960s, and by Symar Locksmiths from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. In 2012 the building was occupied by the Spy Shop.

Businesses that have occupied the northeast portion of the building at 413 S. Main include: the Arnold & Schultz meat market around 1900, the LeBlond & Tietz Butcher Shop in 1915, Stackhouse Brothers meats in the 1920s and 1930s, Fred S. Palmer Jewelry and Optometry in the 1950s, and Marvin Weisman Optometry from the late 1950s to the late 1980s.

"L. E. Palmer has broken ground for a brick skating rink...," Rochester Era, November 20, 1884, p.1.

"The New Roller Rink," Rochester Era, February 13, 1885, p.1.

"The grand opening of Palmer's Palace Rink will take place...," Rochester Era, February 13, 1885, p.1.

"Workmen are engaged in building a room off from the Palace Rink on the southeast corner to be used as a jeweler shop by Palmer..," Rochester Era, March 5, 1886.

"A room is being fitted up in the front part of the rink...," Rochester Era, May 27, 1887, p.1.

"Announcing the Opening of the Purity Liquid Malt Co. [display advertisement]," Rochester Clarion, April 22, 1932, p.5.

"Veteran Jeweler Dies After Short Illness," Rochester Era, October 18, 1935, p.1.

"Lester Scott Sells Business After 21 Years," Rochester Clarion, July 8, 1948.

"Heller's Buy Lamoreaux Jewelers," Rochester Clarion, August 24, 1961, p.1.