Picture the Past: Roller rink in McHenry was once a dance hall A vintage photo of the Fox Dancing Pavilion in McHenry, more recently known as the Just For Fun Roller Rink. It burned down for the second time in its history on May 27. Courtesy of the Pat Wirtz Collection
Posted6/9/2021 1:28 PM
Having been destroyed by fire once before, it is ironic that fire consumed the Just For Fun Roller Rink in McHenry during the evening of May 27.
The building at 914 N. Front St. opened as a dance hall in the 1920s. Arson also was blamed for a 1931 fire that burned what was then the Fox Pavilion to the ground. Four unknown assailants torched the building and kidnapped the night watchman, whom they drove to Schiller Park before releasing him.
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Witnesses told authorities they spotted people trespassing in the area prior to the fire. Investigators then tied the boys to the crime and determined they were inside the building around the time that the fire started, according to a news release from the McHenry Police Department.
Authorities say one of the boys intentionally started the blaze, which quickly spread out of control. That teen has since been charged in juvenile court with arson, criminal damage to property and burglary.
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The other teen faces a criminal trespassing charge, according to the news release.
The teens charged in connection with the fire have since been released to their parents and are expected to appear in juvenile court for future hearings, police said. Their names are not being released since they are juveniles.
A 14-year-old boy is charged with arson after authorities say he set fire to an abandoned roller rink last week in northwest suburban McHenry, police said.