GOVERNMENT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HISTORIC PRESERVATION-*** OFFICE HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW BOARD APPLICATION FOR HISTORIC LANDMARK OR HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION

New Designation -4 Amendment of a previous designation Please summarize any amendment(s)

Property name M.J.Uline Ice Companv and Arena Complex (Washington Coliseum) part ofthe interior isbeing nominated, it must be speciJically identiJed anddescribed in the narrative statements. il 36, [ It-( ~ Address 1140 and Street. N& washington. DC 2000 I Square and lot number(s) 0748 lots 0008.0009.0010.001 1,0802,0808, 0809. 081 0, 08 1 1,0812

Affected Advisory Neighborhood Commission ANC 6C

Date of construction 1931 Date of major alteration(s) 1941

Architect(s) \C\)B\7 2 ',. m~\& Architectural style(s) Original use Sports & Entertainment complex Present use Industrial, warehouse

Property owner LG Industries, Inc (Waste Management)

Legal address of property owner PO Box 1450, , IL 60690-1450

NAME OF APPLICANT(S) DC Preservation League

If the npplicnni is nn orgnnizntion, it must submit evidence that among its purposes is the promotion of historic preservation in the District of Columbia. A copy of its charter, articles of incorporation, or by-laws, setting forth such purpose, will satis+this requirement.

AddressITelephone of applicant(s) 401 F Street, NW, Room 324, Washington DC 20001

Name and title of authorized representtpiv~ Krista Schreiner Gebbia, Program Manager, DCPL

\ ' Signature of representative ( ZDL-U~- Name and telephone of author , 3971 YQ3 1 Date received H.P 0. staff J '" Office of Planning, 801 North Capitol Street, NE, Suite 3000, Washington, D.C. 20002 (202) 442-8800 fax (202) 535-2497 NPS Form 10-900 OMB NO. 1024-0018 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "xu in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/Au for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items.

...... 1. Name of Property ...... historic name -M.J.Uline Ice Company and Arena- Complex other names/site number -Washinqton Coliseum

...... 2. Location ...... street & number 1140 3rd Street, NE not for publication city or town Washinqton, DC vicinity - state DC code county N/A code zip code ...... 3. State/Federal Agency Certification ...... As the designated authority under the ~ationalHistoric Preservation Act of 1986, as amended, I hereby certify that this nomination request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant nationally statewide locally. ( - See continuation sheet for additional comments.)

Signature of certifying official Date

State or Federal agency and bureau USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form M.J.Uline Ice Company and Arena-Complex Washington, DC Page 2 In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. ( - See continuation sheet for additional comments.)

Signature of commenting or other official Date

State or Federal agency and bureau

...... 4. National Park Service Certification ...... I, hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register - See continuation sheet. determined eligible for the National Reqister - See confinuation sheet. determined not eligible for the National Register removed from the National Register

other (explain):

Signature of Keeper Date of Action

...... 5. Classification ...... Ownership of (Check as many boxes as apply)

- public-local - public-State public-Federal Category of (Check only one box) building (s) - district - site - structure - object Number of Resources within Property Contributing Noncontributing 3, buildings sites structures objects Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register uSDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form M.J.Uline Ice Company and Arena -Complex Washington, DC Page 3 ...... _____--______------6. Function or Use ...... Historic Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Cat: Industry/Processinq/Extraction Sub: manufacturing facility -Recreation and Culture -auditorium -

Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions) Cat: Industry/Processing/Extraction Sub:

...... 7. Description ...... Architectural Classification (Enter categories from instructions)

Materials (Enter categories from instructions) foundation -Concrete roof walls concrete faced with painted brick other

Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current condition of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)

...... 8. Statement of Significance ...... Applicable National Register Criteria (Mark I1x1'in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing) / LAProperty is associated with events that have made a significant contribut'on2 to the broad patterns of our history. Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our pastI/B 7 i/ C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form M.J.Uline Ice Company and Arena- Complex Washington, DC Page 4 D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield information important in prehistory or history. Criteria Considerations (Mark "X" in all the boxes that apply.) A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. B removed from its original location. C a birthplace or a grave. D a cemetery

E a reconstructed building, objectfor structure. F a commemorative property.

G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years. Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) -Entertainment/Recreation Architecture

Period of Significance 1931-1983

Significant Dates -1941 - 1946-49

Significant Person (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) Auerbach, Red Uline, Migiel J. (local)

Cultural Affiliation

Architect/Builder -Kubitz and Koeniq

Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.)

...... 9. Major Bibliographical References ...... (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form M.J.Uline Ice Company and Arena- Complex Washington, DC Page 5

Previous documentation on file (NPS) - preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested. - previously listed in the National Register - previously determined eligible by the National Register desianated a National Historic Landmark = reco;ded by Historic American Buildings Survey # - recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # Primary Location of Additional Data - State Historic Preservation Office - Other State agency - Federal agency - Local government - University - Other Name of repository:

...... 10. Geographical Data ...... Acreage of Property UTM References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing 1 - 3 - 2 4 - See continuation sheet. Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)

...... 11. Form Prepared By ...... name/title organization 5 , , i~&~i;r; date dbhi7; \\ ,,206? street & number 4b \T smm ,'NL~ city or town statem zip code

...... Additional Documentation ...... Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets

Maps- A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. USDI/NPS NRHP Registration Form M.J.Uline Ice Company and Arena-Complex Washington, DC Page 6 Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property. Additional items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items)

...... Property Owner ...... (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name street & number telephone city or town state zip code

...... Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018),Washington, DC 20503 Jun. PHONE NO. : 11 2003 04:16PM P2 FROM : Panasonic FQX SYSTEM

OMH No 1024.0rii~

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Section 7 Page 1 of 2 Uline Ice Plant and UheArenu Comnplex Washington, DC

Narrative Description: Archircotural Description:

Boundary Description of Property:

The Uline Ice Plant and Coxnplex is located on Square 0748 in the Old City of Washington, DC, 'rhc Complex is bounded on the east by Third Street, NE; on the south by north end of Congress Strect, NX;on Ule wcsi by Second Street, NE;and on thc north by M Strect, NE. The Uhe Arena is located on lots 8,9, md IO un Delaware Avenue NE-2nd Street NE,with an entrancc building located on bts 802 and 809 separatz1y Iocated et 1 140 3rd Strcet N.B. T11c IJlirle Ice PIatu Cumpkx is located on the 1 100 block of 3rd Srreel N.E. a1c3 is comprised of'lots I 1 n11d 808, fozmcrly listed t~slot 12. , WJ t< \C , I , +

Historic and dwcnt Condition of the Property:

The M.J. UheIce Company Complex ar I 140 and 1146 (forrrimly 1 136-1 138) 3rd Strcet NG, consists oflwo buildings: n two-story irregular-shnpccl Ice warehouse at thc corner of 3rd and M Streets, NE, ([he "Uline Ice Plant"), and a tlu-ec-to-four-stor?., barrel-vaulted arexln ul Delawwc Avenue and L Streers, NE (the "ULixlc Arena"). The UheArena entrancc is a11 ohlong, one-story pnssageway opcnbg onto 3rd Street, NE, south of the Uline Ice Plant. (M.J. Uline Ice Company Complex Eligibility Form, Baltimore-Washingtnn Maglcv Study [BWMS], 2002, p.1)

The M.J. Uline Icc Plant is a two-story, flar-lnooEd,concrete-block stnlcture faced with ~uintedcormon-bond brick. Xt nppms to have kcn buik itr scvcral sections, as the roof height varies shghtly, and a onc-story, five-bay extension projects south from thc main two-story block. The original two-stow, L-shaped structure is at the comer of 3rd and M Strccts. NE, wiLh the south .section and a tailer, two-story wcst sedioxl addcd later. Vcrtical pilS1St~~s and a triple-row horizontal belt course at the cornice of the main section arc tl~sole ommental elernats; use of- similar pilasters unifies plainex. parts of the building with original structuc. All of the mdtipaned steel windows are covered neatly. Along Ihe long east wall ofthe or$mal structure is a ~ontinuousloading dock with two arigml doors (a fivepanel wood door and a steel vault door) still intact. Thuc appears to hnvc hen a metd cclnopy over the loading dock, which is now gonc. (IRWMSl, 2002, p.1) NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No 1021-0018 (8-86)

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Section 7 Page 2 of 2 Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex Washington, DC

Narrative Description: (continued)

The Uline Ice Arena is a massive, approximately three-to-four-story, concrete-block arena structure with an arched, barrel-vaulted roof featuring prominent exterior concrete ribs and a smooth-finished concrete interior. The roof structure is an excellent early example of concrete construction, and utihzes the Zeiss-Dywidag system (a German system developed post-World War I). It is faced with red common-bond brick ornamented with two horizontal belt courses on its street facades, and has two-story side walls with chamfered corners. Seven bays of large windows and several ground floor doors along its exposed west side on Delaware Avenue NEISecond Street NE,are bricked in: its north front on M Street, NE, has triple garage bays on the ground floor and five large vertical windows of gradated height spanning the upper floors, and are also bricked in. Smaller windows and doors on the ground floor on either side of the garage bays are mostly bricked in. A short steel smokestack is attached to the concrete-block south end wall. Projecting from the arena's center east toward 3rd Street NE is a wide, one-story, flat-roofed lobby entranceway with a painted brick facade. The front facade features a projecting center section with a higher flat parapet capped in green metal, a recessed entry area with five pairs of glass entry doors adorned with wrought iron grillework, and iron straps indicated remnants of projecting signage. The lobby has several glass-block windows along its sides but its interior appears to have been renovated in recent times. (M.J. Uline Ice Company Complex Eligibhty Form, Baltimore-Washington Maglev Study, 2002, p. 112)

The Uline Arena is sigruticant as an early example of concrete construction. By World War I, a steel shortage had resulted in the increasing use of concrete and that the %se of arch and dome ribs in reinforced concrete framing began to appear on a large scale." (Condit, 1961) Uline Arena demonstrates a part of the continuum of concrete experimentation, as buildings developed from early concrete domes using the Zeiss-Dywidag system (a German method developed after World War I) to the soaring concrete structures of the 1950s that have become iconic, like the TWA terminal designed by Saarinen. (Christianson, 2003a; )

Although researchers have not had access to the interior of the building, an interior photo was transmitted to staffat the Historic American Engineering Record for examination. In response, they stated that they believe that "the roof is suspended from the exterior arches and the large columns around the perimeter of the ~nteriorare for support. [...I the [concrete] ribs on the ceiling are slightly visible [inside the arena]. [.. .] [I]n the exterior photos . .. the arches extend over the roof line onto the side wings of the arena, whch would also be for support. The architect likened that to flying buttresses. Evidently, having the arches on the exterior would havc created the clear span necessary for an arena. (Christianson, 2003b)

The importance of the wide clear span in the Uline Arena was touted in an advertisement by Lone Star Cement Company in the May 5, 1041 edition of Time Magazine. The ad states that: "Uline Skating Arena, Washmgton; D.C., largest rink in the East, provides mvimum unobstructed usable space. The concrete shell roof, of Z-D design, has a clear span of 156 ft. Designs like tlus are ideally suited for airplane hangars and warehouses." (Lone Star Cement Company, 194 1 ) ( $P_S Form lo-900-a OMB No 1024-0018 (8-86)

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET

Section 8 Page 1 of 8 Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex Waslungton, DC

Narrative Statement of Significance:

Historic Context of the Commercial-Industrial District North and East of Union Station

Washmgton was a planned city that was much too big for its initial population. Its location owed more to political compromise than to natural economic or topographic factors. Despite the best efforts of its planners and promoters to create a major city and economic center, Washington's principal industry was only the Navy Yard, its principal reason for being was to house the new representative government, and its principal economic activity was land speculation-whch oflcn ended badly. There were some natural incentives for commerce in the area-the shipping of tobacco and wheat from surrounding agricultural areas-but the merchants of the fledgling city had to compete for trade with the already established towns of Alexandria, Georgetown, and Bladensburg. (Capitol Hill Nortlmear Northeast Cultural and Social History Study [CHN], 2002, p. 3)

The introduction of the railroad in Washington proved crucial to the industrial development of the city. Until the city was accessed by rail travel, the city's industrial centers were located in the pre-industrial port town of Georgetown and along the ~vharvesof southwest Washington. The emergence of the radroad in the mid-19th century provided an alternative transportation route which also spurred industrial growth along the edge of the railroad lines. (Warehouse Survey Phase I1 Final Report [WSP2], 1992, p. 18.)

The areas surrounding the Pennsylvania Railroad and the two principal branches of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad generally evolved from either undeveloped or primarily residential areas in the late 19th century to residential areas with an industrial corridor following closely to the railroad tracks in the 20th century. When laid, the tracks generally cut through sparsely developed areas of the city, especially as the tracks moved further away from the city center. By the mid-20th century, these areas were well built-up with industrial buildings clustering around the railroad itself. Primarily residential areas emerged just bcyond the tracks. (WSP2, p. 18)

As the fust rail hein the city, it seems logical that the Baltimore and Oho Railroad would have provided the earliest radroad-related industrial architecture in the northeast quadrant of the city. Historic maps reveal that industrial development was significant along corridors of both branches of the B&O Railroad in the late 19th century. The 1887 Hopkins Map of Washngton indicates that the area immediately east of where the Washington branch and the Metropolitan branch diverged was characterized by industrial archtecture. The Washington branch, which cut through the Near Northeast neighborhood east down I Street, before turning north and following a route that became the present-day West Virginia Avenue NE, spurred a fair amount of industrial development near the line's origin in the late 1880s. (WSP2, p. 18; CHN, p. 13) NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No 1024-0018 (8.86)

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Section 8 Uline Ice Plant and Uhe Arena Complex Washington, DC

Narrative Statement of Significance: (continued)

Just as the erection of Union Station resulted in the re-routing of railroad trackage of the route to Baltunore, it also engendered the demolition of many of the area's early industrial buildings. Combined with increased population, consolidation of businesses into larger enterprises, and the greater demand for land in the North Capitol corridor, almost no 19th century warehouse buildings survive (Actually, part of 1880s Schlitz Brewery survives at the rear of the National Geographic Warehouse facing Randolph Place, NE adjacent to Metropolitan Branch B Kc. 0 RR tracks. This is not noted in documentary sources, but quite evident from studying Sanborn maps and extant architectural style of building section). (WSP2, p. 18/19)

The area of the city serviced by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad grew extensively in the early to mid-20th century. The north side of Florida Avcnuc, directly north of the Near Northeast neighborhood, grew extensively in the early to mid-20th century, in terms of both residential and industrial development. Residential development was spurred in part by development of streetcar lines throughout the northeast quadrant. Residents and workers were particularly well-served by the number 90 he, which traveled between Anacostia in southeast and the Calvert Street Bridge at Rock Creek Park in north\vest, connecting to many other streetcar lines along the way. (King, 1972)

The opening of the Union Terminal Market in 193 1 between Florida and New York Avcnues, NE, created a large cluster of industrial development in this area, as did the close proximity to the B&O Freight Terminal. Densc clusters of warehouses and other structures formed along the two B & 0 lines and the Pennsylvania Rallroad line between Union Station and the city outskirts. A large concentration of industrial structures began along the tracks north of Union Station in the 19 10s and expanded north and east around the main Ivy City Railyard junction. Dozens of warehouses, including several large landmark examples, were built by various companies in Near Northeast and Eckington during the 1920s and 1930s. New York Avenue, NE,began to develop as a tn~ckingroute paralleling the main B Kc. 0 Railroad line during the 1930s, and industrial concerns followed, enticed by the prospect of multiple transportation modes available in this corridor. The majority of the pre-1945 industrial development decreases in concentration as the rail lines move north, and by mid-century, industries had a tendency to locate themselves closer to the city outskirts. This was undoubtedly due in part to increased use of road transportation, as well as availability of inexpensive undeveloped land. (WSPII, p. 20)

Traditionally speaking, Washington, D.C. is not an industrial city and has never been considered industrial in nature. Despite the more traditional view that cities should be free of manufacturing, industry has always existed in Washington, especially in Georgetown and at the Navy Yard, the latter being for decades the largest single center of employment in the city. In Sact, industry, light industry generally and maritime-related heavy industry associated with the Navy Yard, has played a role in the city's growth and development from the 18th century to the 20th century. (WSP2, p. 21) However, as industry has moved out of the city over the decades, and as the demand for office development outspans the area of the traditional central business district, fewer and fewer exaniples of these buildings remain extant in old B&O/Pennsylvania Railroad trackage corridor in the northeast quadrant of the citv.. NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)

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Section 8 Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex Washington, DC

Narrative Statement of Significance: (continued)

Impact of the Railroad on the Development of the Capitol Hill Northblear Northeast Neighborhood

The location of the railroads was a key augur of development in the neighborhood. Despite the country estates that dotted the hills above Florida Avc., the proximity to the rallroad and the jobs it provided were probably important reasons why the Near Northeast developed as a middle and working class neighborhood. In the 19th century walking city, the presence of the railroad and its passenger and freight terminals and rail yard were a source of nearby employment. Short spurs off the tracks in the northeast neighborhood served smaller individually owned coal and wood yards. The 1904 Sanbom map shows coal yards at Delaware Avenue and H Street NE,4th and I Streets NE, and on both the northeast and south\ilest comers of 8th and K Streets NE.The area did not, however, develop a decidedly industrial caste as a result of the presence of the railroad. It remained a largely residential area with a scattering of mixed uses. The 1904 map also shows that the residential lots closest to the tracks were slower to develop. Only houses at the northwest comer of 7th and I Streets NE and 9th and K Streets NE were built with the trains in their back yards. When the tracks were removed after Union Station and its new approaches went into service in 1907, the railroad right of way from 6th Street north became West Virginia Avenue. The removal of the railroad improved the residential quality of the neighborhood north of H Street and encouraged development of the remaining empty lots. The Act authorizing Union Station confirmed and preserved the residential character of the neighborhoods east of 2nd Street by forbidding spurs on the east side of the new track alignment. (CHN, p. 13)

In the early 20th century, immense changes in the development of the northeast quadrant of the city resulted from the building of a single terminal to serve all the railroads coming into the District of Columbia. This new Union Station, erected between 1903 and 1907, was part of the grand vision of the McMillan Commission, creating a ceremonial entrance to the city just to the north of, and oriented toward, the Capitol building. The area chosen for the station, at the intersection of Delaware and Massachusetts Avenues NE,was low-lying ground near the former bed of Goose Creek. The station and the tracks and yards spreading out behd it to the northeast would wipe out 300 houses and businesses in an area known as Swampoodle and would cut a swath across the developing H Street commercial corridor, devastating the area east of the Government Printing Office where business development was the oldest and most intense. Thc Business section of Boyd's Directory for 1890, a decade before the project began, already listed over 80 businesses in the area between North Capitol and 2nd Street NE, that would have been either destroyed or greatly affected by the railroad construction project. These people and businesses moved east deeper into the neighborhood, and helped spur further development. (CHN p. 13)

Once the project was finished, Union Station physically dominated the western boundary of the neighborhood. The bulk of the station, its stone retaining walls, and the long underpasses beneath the tracks created a visual demarcation between the Near Northeast and the areas to the west. The congressional act that authorized Union Station also reinforced changing development patterns on either side of the tracks. Spurs off the railroad were not allowed on the east side of the tracks, reinforcing the desire to maintain the neighborhood as a residential area. Spurs were allowed on the west and the main B&O coal yard, warehouses, manufacturing, and other industrial uses NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8.86)

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service

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Section 8 Page 4 of 8 Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex Washington, DC

Narrative Statement of Significance: (continued) prevailed there. Nonetheless, light industrial uses along 2nd Street NE continued to exist, and provided a buffer between the railyard and the adjacent residential neighborhood. (CHN, p. 14)

Social and Cultural Significance of the Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena/Washington Coliseum

Migiel J. Uline-nicknamed Mlke and often misspelled as Miguel in newspaper accounts, and his lastname was probably Americanized phonetically rather than using the Dutch-German spelling of Uihlein--owned a chain of ice plants in Oho, which he sold to finance a post-divorce move to Washmgton, DC. In 1931, he purchased a failing ice company that was using obsolete methods, founded the M.J. Uline Ice Company, and was able to turn the business around within 87 days using new innovations, some of which he invented and patented himseK The Uline Ice Plant, designed by Kubitz and Koenig, was built by the Consolidated Engineering Company in 193 1. (BWMS, p. 112); "Consolidated Firm Expands Its Policy," Washington Post, 12/31/1931, p. DC 14; Weeks, Linton, "Ice in I-Iis Veins,"Washington Post Magazine, 1211711 99 1, p. 7)

In the days before modem refrigeration and air conditioning, ice was a vital commodity, particularly during the humid DC summers. Icc was purchased in varying amounts by government and other institutions, freight companies, dairies and markets, hotels, restaurants, merchants, and individual residents to preserve perishables. Several ice manufacturers existed in Washington in the 1930s, and the Uline Ice Company soon rose to prominence among them. M.J. Uline became active as an officer in the National Capital Ice Institute, and was later one of several ice company owners cited by the Federal Trade Commission in 1939 for price-fucing, as well as unfair disparagement of competitors and their fmancial stability. However, hsbusiness did well, undoubtedly due to his own creativity and business skills. Over his career, he patented 69 inventions, mostly related to icemaking. According to the 1991 DC Warehouse Sumev, ice was still manufactured in the Uline Ice Plant building at the time the study was conducted.

The success of hs company and his love of sports led Uline to construct and open the Uline Ice Arena adjacent to his ice plant in 1941. The 8,000+ scat coliseum was the site of the fust professional team in Washington, as well as professional hockey, college basketball and track events, boxing, concerts, and ice skating. It was the home of the Ice Capades for decades. Thc Uline Arena was later renamed the Washington Coliseum, upon an ownership and management change. By the 1990s, it was used as a worship hall, and then as a trash transfer station, whch residents in the neighborhood opposed vociferously. After a long and diligent effort, with litigation assistance provided by the Institute for Public Representation Legal Clinic of the Law School, the trash transfer station ceased operating in 2002. Race Relations

While most everyone knows that the Uline Arena, in its later guise as the Washington Coliseum, served as the site of the fust Beatles Concert in North America on February 1 I th, 1964, no discussion of the social importance of Uhe Arena would be complete without considering the subject of segregation. With very few exceptions, all events NPS OMB No 1024-0018

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Section 8 Page 5 of 8 Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex Washington, DC

Narrative Statement of Significance: (continued) staged at Uline Arena from the tune it opened until 1948 were strictly segregated, "wliites-only" events. African- Americans were admitted to boxing and wrestling events, but were otherwise excluded under the policy set down by Migiel Uline. Tensions rose over time, as the predominantly African-American local comrnunit)t continued to be excluded from events happening in their backyard. While the Uline Arena suffered in some respects from the diff~cultiesits white patrons had in reaching its rather remote location, Akican-Americans living in the immediate area were denied admission. The exclusionary policy of the Uline Arena led famous physical education teacher, activist, and author E.B. Henderson to lead the fight to open Uline Arena to all of the capitol's citizens. E.B. Henderson introduced the game of basketball to the African-American community, though the establishment of the 12th Street YMCA. No stranger to the fight for African-American rights, Mr. Henderson founded the Fairfax County NAACP, the first suburban chapter of the organization in 191 5. (Thomas, 2002)

Uline Arena also bore witness to a cornerstone speech by The Most Honorable of the . On May 3 1, 1959, Mr. Muhanunad addressed a capacity crowd, delivering hs famous speech entitled The Fall ofAmerica. ("Moslem Leader Demands 'Justice' at rally of 5,000," The Washington Afro-American, June 6, 1959; text available at: http://m~w.seventhfam.com).Prior to his break with the Nation of Islam, also spoke at Uline Arena.

Professional Basketball History

Uline Arena has played host to three professional basketball teams, the Washington Capitols from 1946- 195 1, the abortive Washmgton Tapers for a portion of the 1960-196 1 season, and the for the 1969-70 season. The Washington Capitols enjoyed the greatest success of any of the three teams, thanks in large part to its early leadership fro111 legendary coach . A former George Washington University star, Auerbach had never coached professional basketball when the then-high-school coach convinced Migiel IJline that he was the man for the job. (Hand, "The Red Zone," Washington City Paper, March 22-28,2002, "Red Zone"). A charter member of the BBA, which would later evolve in to the modem NBA, the Capitols fmished their inaugural season with a 14 game lead over their closest competition, before losing in the league playoffs in a stunning upset series to the Chicago Stags. (Thomas, They Cleared the Lane, University of Press, 2002, "They Cleared the Lane"). Red Auerbach stayed on as coach of the Capitols until after the team won the league championsldp in 1949. (Red Zone) To start their championship 1948-1949 season, the Capitols set a league record that still stands today, winning their first 15 games of the season. (NBA Hall of Fame website, \vww.hoophalI.com, "IHOF Site") The Capitols suffered mightily after Auerbach's departure, and the team folded midway through the 195 1 - 1952 season.

The Capitols also deeply affected the social and cultural history of the city and the nation by drafting of West Virginia State as the second African-American taken in the 1950 basketball draft. Although the , then led by Red Auerbach, drafted the first African-American, Chuck Cooper in that same draft, it was Earl Lloyd who integrated professional basketball by playing his first game against the Rochester Royals on October 31, NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 (8-86)

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Section 8 Page6 of 8 Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex Washmgton, DC

Narrative Statement of Significance: (continued)

1950. (Thomas, 2002). A day later, Lloyd played his first home game at Uline Arena. Integrating professional basketball as a member of the Washmgton Capitols was only the first of many achievements by Mr. Lloyd, who was the first African-American member of a championship team in 1955 with the Syracuse Nationals. Mr. Lloyd also became the first African-American assistant coach with the in 1968 and the second African- American head coach (and first African-American bench head coach) in 197 1, also with the Detroit Pistons. Mr. Lloyd has been selected for induction into the NBA Hall ofFame, in a ceremony to be held September 4-7,2003.

The Washington Tapers are barely a footnote in Washington sports history, starting the 1960- 196 1 season in Washington before moving to New York in mid-season. It would be nearly ten years before Earl Forman purchased the struggling Oakland Oaks and moved them to Uline Arena in 1969 as the Washington Caps. The Washington Caps featured ABA league superstar , famous for his granny-style free throw shots. (O'Brien, article in ABA All-Stars, 1972). One of I3arry's most famous teammates on the Washington Caps was NBA Hall of Famer Lany Brown, current coach of the Detroit Pistons. (HOF Site).

Professional Hockey I-Iistory

Three hockey teams also called Ulule Arena home, the Washington Eagles of the Eastern Amateur Hockey League 1939-42; the Washington Lions 1943- 1957, Eastern Amateur Hockey League, American Hockey League, and the Eastern Hockey League; and the Washmgton Presidents of the Eastern Hockey League 1957-60. Although the teams struggled to attract enough fans to remain financially viable, each team won a league championship, starting with the Eagles in 194 1. The Waslungton Lions won the Eastern Amateur Hockey League championslup in 1955, and the Presidents won in 1958 with the help of future hall of famer Ed Defelice.

Significance Statement

The M.J. Uline Ice Company and Arena Complex is a unique resource in Washington It is significant as a building complex representing industrial land use patterns along the District's railroad lines; the history and personality of Migiel J. Uhe and hs company; the character of the D.C. icemaking industry in the last decades before modem refrigeration methods became widespread. It is also sig~uficantas the leading center in the region for entertainment, social, sporting, and other events from the 1940s through the latter part of the 1960s, with continuing significance lasting well into the late 1980s.

The complex is among the most prominent of a number of 1912-1952 industrial buildings forming a distinct development cluster along the Northeast Corridor railroad alignment from Union Station to the Anacostia River. The arena also has its place in the racial and social history of Washington, DC. The initial segregated audiences and the later problems that led to its abandonment as a venue for visiting acts reflect the racial tensions of the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement, representing local and nationwide historic patterns of discrimination against NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No 1024-0018 (8-86)

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African-Americans. In a seeming contradiction of its first years, the arena was later host to events intended to empower African-Americans, such as appearances by Nation of Islam leaders including Elijah Muhammed and Malcolm X and religious and inspirational services and events sponsored by the Miracle Faith Center.

Migiel "Uncle Mike" Uline, through his founding of the ice plant and primary sponsorship of the arena, was a prominent personality in the history of both DC ice manufacturing and local sports and entertainment of the mid- twentieth-century. A number of persons and acts who entertained in the arena were major figures in American and world culture, and some of the events themselves made history. As the central venue for such events, the Uline Aren'dWashington Coliseum is associated with so many people signifcant to the social and cultural history of the Washington region and the United States including:

Migiel Uheiumself, Red Auerbach, one of the leading figures in the development of the National Basketball Association as one of the dominant and most successful professional sporting leagues in the World. Earl Lloyd, the first African-American to step and play on the court in the National Basketball Association Malcolm X, a leading figure in the Nation of Islam and Civil Rights Movement in the United States played their first concert in North America at the Uline Arena, a seminal event in the promotion of "rock and roll" in the music history of the United States.

Though both buildings have undergone some changes, their exterior appearance overall is close to the original, and they retain integrity of setting, materials, workmanshp, feeling, and association. The ice plant is an excellent example of its type, representing up-to-date ice manufacturing methods of the early 1930s. The arena is a unique landmark demonstrating the use of advanced concrete-barrel-vault technology to permit larger and larger enclosed sports facilities.

As such, the Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex meets National Register Criteria A (associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history); B (associated with the lives of persons significant in our past), and C (embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or mcthod of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a signilicant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction.

The 1991 DC Warehouse Survey recommended that the Uline Ice Company Ice Plant on 3rd Street NE be determined eligible as a D.C. Landmark. While the 1992 Warehouse Survey did not make the same determination for the Uline Arena, the overly narrow definition of the scope of work as surveying "warehouses" rather than looking more broadly at industrial and related buildings meant that the survey did not evaluate the Uline Arena as a constituent component of the M.J. Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex. NPS Form 10-900-a OM9 No. 1024-0018 (8-86)

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Narrative Statement of Significance: (continued)

The 2002 Baltimore-Waslungton Maglev Study performed a Section 106 review of buildings along the "Northeast Rallroad Corridor" in Washington and points north. As part of this review, the M.J. Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex was recommended eligible as a D.C. Landmark and for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A. It was also recommended eligible as a contributing element to the recommended-eligible proposed "Northeast Corridor Commercial-Industrial District", a discontiguous district including industrial structures from 1912 through 1952 that would flank the railroad tracks at various points north from Union Station to the D.C.-Maryland border. NPS Form 10-900-a OMBNo 1024-0018 (8-86)

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Bibliography

Amtrak and John Milner Associates. Baltimore-Washington Maglev Study [BWMS]. Submitted to the D.C. Historic Presen~ationOffice, 2002., archived at DCSHPO files.

Auerbach, Arnold and Joe Fitzgerald. Red Auerbach: An Autobiography. New York: Putnam, 1977.

Christianson, Justine. Historian, Historic American Engineering Survey, email communication to Kate Farnham, June 10,2003, archived at [email protected], 2003a.

Christianson, Justine. Historian, Historic American Engineering Survey, email communication to Kate Farnham, June I 1, 2003, archived at [email protected]. 2003b.

Condit, Carl W. American building art: the twentieth century. New York: Oxford University Press, 1961.

"Consolidated Firm Expands Its Policy," Washington Post, 12/31/1931, p. DC14;

King, Jr., Leroy 0. 100 years of capital traction; the stoq~of streetcars in theNationls Capital. College Park, Maryland: 'faylor Pub. Co., 1972.

Lone Star Cement Company. Advertisement appearing in Time Magazine, May 5, 194 1, p. 2

Near Northeast Citizens Against Crime and Drugs and Nancy Scliwartz. Capitol Hill NortllNear Northeast Cultural and Social History Study [CHN]. Prepared for the D.C. Historic Preservation Office, 2002. archived at DCSHPO files.

Thomas, Ron. They Cleared the Lane: thc NBA's BlackPioneers. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2002.

Traceries. DC Warehouse Survey. Prepared for the D.C. Ilistoric Preservation Division, 1991. archived at DCSI-IPO files.

Traceries. DC Warehouse Survey Phase I1 [WSP2]. Prepared for the D.C. Historic Preservation Division, 1992. archived at DCSHPO files.

Weeks, Linton, "Ice in His Veins,"Washington Post Magazine, 12/17/1991, p. 7 NPS Form IO-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service

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Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet)

The Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex is located on Square 0748 in the Old City of Washmgton, DC. The Complex is bounded on the east by Third Street, NE; on the south by north end of Congress Street, NE; on the west by Second Street, NE; and on the north by M Street, NE. The Uhe Arena is located on lots 8,9, and 10 on Delaware Avenue NE-2nd Street NE, with an entrance building located on lots 802 and 809 separately located at 1140 3rd Street N.E.The Uline Ice Plant Complex is located on the 1100 block of 3rd Street N.E. and is comprised of lots I I and 808, formerly listed as lot 12- di 4 I k (eag . LO , lr (,, /LK Sc 1

Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)

The boundaries discussed in the "Verbal Boundary Description" conform with the building footprints and lot coverage of all that is located within and on the Uline Ice Plant and Uline Arena Complex.