Dorton Arena

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J.S. Dorton Arena
Dorton Arena Paraboleum

Former names	State Fair Arena
Location	North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, North Carolina
Opened	1952
Owner	State of North Carolina
Operator	State of North Carolina
Surface	Ice, Concrete, Hardwood
Architect	Maciej Nowicki, William Henley Dietrick
Capacity	5,110- Arena Football and Hockey 7,610- Basketball
Tenants
Carolina Rollergirls (WFTDA) (2006-present) Raleigh Rebels (AIFL) (2006) Raleigh Cougars (USBL) (1997-1999) Raleigh IceCaps (ECHL) (1991-1998) Raleigh Bullfrogs (GBA) (1991-1992) Carolina Cougars (ABA) (1969-1974)
J. S. Dorton Arena
U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Location	North Carolina State Fairgrounds, W. Hillsborough St., Raleigh, North Carolina
Coordinates	35°47′37″N 78°42′36″W / 35.79361°N 78.71000°W / 35.79361; -78.71000Coordinates: 35°47′37″N 78°42′36″W / 35.79361°N 78.71000°W / 35.79361; -78.71000
Built	1953
Architect	Nowicki,Matthew,et al.; Muirhead,William,Construction
Governing body	State
NRHP Reference #	73001375 ^[1]
Added to NRHP	April 11, 1973

The J.S. Dorton Arena (known to its architect as the Paraboleum) is a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair. It was opened in 1952.

Architect Maciej Nowicki was killed in an airplane crash before the construction phase, and local architect William Henley Dietrick supervised the completion of the arena using Nowicki's innovative design. Its design features a steel cable supported saddle-shaped roof in tension, held up by parabolic concrete arches in compression. The arches cross about 20 feet above ground level and continue underground, where the ends of the arches are held together by more steel cables in tension. The outer walls of the arena support next to no weight at all. Incorporating an unusual elliptical design by Matthew Nowicki, of the North Carolina State University Department of Architecture, the arena was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973.^[1] Originally named the "State Fair Arena", it was dedicated to Dr. J. S. Dorton, former North Carolina State Fair manager, in 1961.

It is currently the home of the Carolina Rollergirls (WFTDA). In the past, it has served as the home of numerous sports teams. The longest serving tenant was the Raleigh IceCaps (ECHL) ice hockey team from 1991–1998. The American Basketball Association's Carolina Cougars also played some games there from 1969–74.

The Cougars became tenants after the Houston Mavericks moved to North Carolina in 1969. The Cougars were a "regional franchise", playing "home" games in Charlotte (Bojangles' Coliseum), Greensboro (Greensboro Coliseum), Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum and Raleigh (Dorton Arena). Hall of Fame Coach Larry Brown began his coaching career with the Cougars in 1972. Billy Cunningham was the ABA MVP for the Cougars in the 1972-73 season. Despite a strong fan base the Cougars were sold and moved to St. Louis in 1974.^[2]

Besides hosting sporting events, the arena is also used for concerts during the North Carolina State Fair. Various conventions and fairs also use floorspace of the arena as an exhibition space, often in conjunction with the neighboring Jim Graham building.

The arena was also the site of a 2010 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) regional robotics competition and was the first space to hold a regional in the state.

Both Shaw University and Meredith College use Dorton Arena as a site for graduation, and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics use the facility as a rain site for their commencement exercises.

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
↑ http://www.remembertheaba.com/Carolina-Cougars.html

External links

Official Website via the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Extended history including construction photos and structural details
Historic photos of Dorton Arena
Matthew Nowicki Papers at NCSU Libraries, includes drawings of Dorton

v t e U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Topics	Architectural style categories Contributing property Historic district History of the National Register of Historic Places Keeper of the Register National Park Service Property types

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Lists by insular areas	American Samoa Guam Minor Outlying Islands Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico Virgin Islands

Lists by associated states	Federated States of Micronesia Marshall Islands Palau

Other areas	District of Columbia Morocco

Category Portal WikiProject

v t e City of Raleigh, North Carolina

Main	Notable People Wake County The Triangle North Carolina Piedmont Tallest Buildings

Government	Mayor Nancy McFarlane Mayors of Raleigh Raleigh City Council Wake County Public School System Raleigh Fire Department Raleigh Police Department

Colleges and Universities	North Carolina State University Wake Technical Community College Meredith College William Peace University Shaw University St. Augustine's University Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law Skema Business School

Attractions	Museums: North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences North Carolina Museum of History North Carolina Museum of Art Marbles Kids Museum Raleigh City Museum Historic Sites City Market Joel Lane House Mordecai House Montfort Hall Long View Center Dorton Arena Performing Arts: Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh Little Theatre Parks: William B. Umstead State Park Pullen Park J. C. Raulston Arboretum North Carolina State Fair

Sports	Carolina Hurricanes-NHL (PNC Arena) NC State Wolfpack-NCAA Division I (ACC) (Carter-Finley Stadium, PNC Arena) Carolina Railhawks-NASL Carolina Mudcats-MiLB A Rex Hospital Open-Nationwide Tour

Media	Newspapers: News & Observer Raleigh Downtowner Technician Independent Weekly Television: 4 WUNC (PBS - Chapel Hill) 5 WRAL (CBS) 11 WTVD (ABC) 17 WNCN (NBC) 22 WLFL (CW) 28 WRDC (MyNetworkTV - Durham) 30 WRAY (Ind./Jewelry TV - Wilson) 40 WUVC (Univision - Fayetteville) 50 WRAZ (Fox) 68 WAUG-LP (Ind.)

Transportation	Raleigh-Durham International Airport Capital Area Transit (CAT) Triangle Transit Roads: I-40 I-440 I-540 U.S. 1 U.S. 64 U.S. 70 U.S. 264 U.S. 401 N.C. 54 N.C. 50 N.C. 98 Rail: Amtrak Station Carolinian Silver Star Piedmont

v t e Sports venues in the Research Triangle

Current	Boshamer Stadium (Chapel Hill) Cameron Indoor Stadium (Durham) Carter–Finley Stadium (Raleigh) Dean Smith Center (Chapel Hill) Doak Field (Raleigh) Dorton Arena (Raleigh) Durham Athletic Park (Durham) Durham Bulls Athletic Park (Durham) Durham County Stadium (Durham) Eddie Smith Field House (Chapel Hill) Fetzer Field (Chapel Hill) Five County Stadium (Zebulon) Henry Stadium (Chapel Hill) Jack Coombs Field (Durham) J. W. Isenhour Tennis Center (Raleigh) Kenan Memorial Stadium (Chapel Hill) Koskinen Stadium (Durham) McLendon–McDougald Gymnasium (Durham) PNC Arena (Raleigh) O'Kelly–Riddick Stadium (Durham) Orange County Speedway (Little River Township) Reynolds Coliseum (Raleigh) Wake County Speedway (Garner) WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary) Wallace Wade Stadium (Durham) WRAL Soccer Center (Raleigh)

Future	--

Defunct	Bynum Gymnasium (Converted, Chapel Hill) Occoneechee Speedway (In preservation, Hillsborough) Raleigh Speedway (Demolished, Raleigh) Riddick Stadium (Demolished, Raleigh) State Fairgrounds Speedway (Converted, Raleigh) Thompson Gym (Converted, Raleigh) Tin Can (Demolished, Chapel Hill)

v t e Current arenas in the Ultimate Indoor Football League

UIFL Arenas	American Bank Center (Corpus Christi, TX) BankUnited Center (Coral Gables, FL) Family Arena (St. Charles, MO) Germain Arena (Estero, FL) Lakeland Center (Lakeland, FL) Northwest Georgia Trade and Convention Center (Dalton, GA) Robarts Arena (Sarasota, FL)

v t e Current venues in the Women's Flat Track Derby Association

East region	Aleppo Shriners Auditorium Dorton Arena Kennedy Arena Du Burns Arena CT RollerGirls D.C. Armory Haygood Skating Center Overlook Activities Center Inline Skating Club of America Hunter College Sportsplex Green Mountain Derby Dames Harrisburg Area Roller Derby Independence Family Fun Center Earls Court Exhibition Centre Skate Safe America Portland Exposition Building Le Taz John F. Kennedy Memorial Coliseum Class of 1923 Arena Rhode Island Convention Center Rainbow Rink Greater Richmond Convention Romp'n Roll Roller Skating Rink Sports Centre at MCC Suburbia Roller Derby

West region	Veterans Memorial Auditorium Castle Sports Club B.ay A.rea D.erby Girls Bellingham Roller Betties Central Coast Roller Derby 1stBank Center Albuquerque Convention Center Lane County Fairgrounds Sport Center of Las Vegas FoCo Girls Gone Derby Everett Community College Lava City Roller Dolls Skateland Pacific Roller Derby Colorado Springs City Auditorium KeyArena ShoWare Center Bladium Portland Expo Center Roller King Roseville Salt Palace Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium Silicon Valley Roller Girls Slaughter County Roller Vixens Slaughterhouse Derby Girls TISC Wasatch Roller Derby

North Central region	Midwest Sport Hockey Complex Bleeding Heartland Rollergirls U.S. Cellular Arena Wolstein Center Chicago Outfit Roller Derby Cincinnati Gardens Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum Derby City Rollergirls Masonic Temple Drill Hall Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Fox Cityz Foxz Gem City Rollergirls Rivertown Sports Dave Andreychuk Arena Killamazoo Derby Darlins Alliant Energy Center Roy Wilkins Auditorium Pepsi Coliseum Indiana Convention Center Minneapolis Convention Center Central Ohio Roller Hockey Paper Valley Rollergirls Rockford Rage Swonder Ice Arena Sioux Falls Expo Building UIC Pavilion

South Central region	Austin Convention Center Rollercade Fair Park Coliseum Yaarab Shrine Center UNO Human Performance Center NYTEX Sports Centre Von Braun Center Tulsa Convention Center Knoxville Civic Coliseum Bayou Music Center Wichita Ice Center Municipal Auditorium MidSouth Fairgrounds TNA Asylum Pershing Center Starlight Skatium Oklahoma Victory Dolls Ralston Arena North Florida Fairgrounds USA Skateplex West Texas Roller Dollz

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Dorton Arena

See also

References

External links