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14-619: Construction of the Cycledrome was financed by Peter Laudati . It replaced the Cranston Cycledrome, which was demolished in 1924 to make way for a housing development. Charlie Turville, manager of the Cranston Cycledrome, was brought on to manage the Providence Cycledrome. The Cycledrome was constructed on a plot of land behind an electric streetcar barn in between the cities of Providence and Pawtucket, Rhode Island . The venue had

28-404: A $ 1,000 loan received from Laudati a day earlier, that gave the team a balance of nearly $ 11,000, more than enough to cover the game's expenses of $ 5,840.64. The NFL took 1 percent of the gate receipts from each game and the Cycledrome took 15 percent; players’ salaries ($ 1,972) and the visiting team's share ($ 2,475) accounted for most of the other expenses. However, by 1931 financial issues forced

42-406: A capacity of 12,000, including 2,000 grandstand seats and 2,000 pavilion seats, and was surrounded by a promenade that provided shelter in case of rain. It was lit by 52 500-watt bulbs placed around the track. Improvements were also made to the surrounding area, which included adding street lights to North Main and Ann Mary Streets. The Cycledrome held its first cycling event on May 29, 1925. The track

56-750: A member of the NFL in 1925. In 1928, they became the first team in New England to win an NFL Championship . According to a Steam Roller cash book, kept by Laudati in 1927, that was donated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame by Ray Monaco , who also played with the Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Rams , after a November 8 game against the New York Giants , brought a total intake of $ 9,911.51. Added to

70-598: A sprint race between Robert Spears , Horace Horder, Edward Raffe, and John Bruskie. The stadium was home to the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football League (NFL) from 1925 to 1933, who played their games in the infield of the velodrome. The football field was snugly surrounded by a wooden track with steeply-banked ends, which cut sharply into the end zones and reduced them to just five yards in depth. During football games, temporary seating

84-530: The Veterans of Foreign Wars held a boxing card headlined by Lou Brouillard and Jackie Brady. Brouillard won the bout on points. On September 5, 1932, Providence's Eddie Holmes defeated Christopher Battalino by decision at the Cycledrome. Holmes headlined a card at the Cycledrome the following year as well. He defeated Baby Joe Gans in ten rounds, while on the undercard Joey Archibald defeated Francis Walsh. Gentleman Jack Washburn defeated Battling Billy Bartush in

98-577: The home field for Providence F.C. of the American Soccer League . In 1929, the stadium hosted a match between Preston North End F.C. and Bethlehem Steel F.C. In 1932, the Pawtucket Rangers played a game against the Boston Bears at the Cycledrome. The Cycledrome hosted its first boxing event on June 3, 1925. It was headlined by Babe Herman and Tommy "Kid" Murphy. On August 25, 1931,

112-454: The main event of a wrestling card held at the Cycledrome on July 26, 1932. On August 31, 1932, Henri Deglane defeated Casey Kazanjian in 45 minutes to retain his World Heavyweight Championship . In its later years, the Cycledrome was the location of the E.M. Loewe's drive-in theater. The site is now home to an Ocean State Job Lot and a Peter Pan Bus Terminal . †= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time 1 = A team used

126-453: The shrine, served as the race's starter. In 1929, the Cycledrome held a round of the American motor-paced racing championship, which included Franco Giorgetti , George Chapman, Victor Hopkins , and Gerard Debaets . The 1929 season finale was headlined by a motor-paced race between Chapman, Hopkins, Larry Gaffney, Victor Rousch, Alfred Letourneur , Richard Lamb , and Francesco Zucchetti and

140-453: The stadium when their permanent stadium was unable to be used as a result of damage. Peter Laudati Peter A. Laudati was a sports promoter and a part-owner of the Providence Steam Roller of the National Football League . He was also responsible for the construction of the team's stadium, the Cyclodome . Prior to this, he was a prominent Providence real estate developer. Laudati

154-453: The team to go on a hiatus and fold in 1933. Laudati turned this to his advantage. In 1934 he leveled the Cycledrome and built on the site an E.M. Lowe drive-in movie theater. When it opened in 1937, it was only the second drive-in theater in the nation, the first being in Jersey City . Although his name was not used in connection with the Cycledrome in any of the contemporary newspaper accounts,

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168-604: Was an ardent promoter of sports ventures; in addition to the Cycledrome he built Providence's Kinsley Park , home of the Providence Grays baseball team in the 1930s. He was instrumental in bringing the New York Yankees , featuring Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig , to play an exhibition game at that park. He then established the Steam Roller football team in 1916 with James Dooley and Charles Coppen . The Steam Roller became

182-535: Was permitted on the straight-away portion of the track, which was so close to the field that players, after being tackled, often found themselves in the stands. In 1930, floodlights were installed at the stadium for night games, and the Steam Roller became the first NFL team to host a game under lights. The Cycledrome was also used by the Providence Huskies and hosted high school games. The Cycledrome, along with Kinsley Park and Lonsdale Avenue Pitch, served as

196-558: Was rebuilt in 1929 after it went "boom in several places" the previous year. The track's most prestigious annual event was the "Golden Wheel", a 50-mile race that had previously been held at the Cranston Cycledrome. The Cycledrome also hosted the New England Shrine's "Race of Nations", which featured cyclists from the United States , Italy , Belgium , and France . George M. Hendee , a former champion cyclist and head potentate of

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