Roller skating fever struck Norfolk in 1885, as it did many towns across the country. The Norfolk Roller Skating Association had 30 members that year, and the rink was in the newly-constructed Village Hall (pictured here at that time). The first roller skating rink had been opened at the Atlantic House resort hotel in Newport, Rhode Island in 1866 and sparked the craze, initially among adults. By then, a four-wheel design (the wheels were made of boxwood) improved the skater’s ability to control direction and avoid collisions. As roller skaters began to experiment with tricks, skating became a spectator sport. The rink in Norfolk’s Village Hall was open Tuesday and Friday evenings of each week, and spectators were admitted to the balcony.
— Ann Havemeyer