Dorton Arena

J.S. Dorton Arena
Construction
Paraboleum

Former names	State Fair Arena (1952–1961)
Location	North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, North Carolina
Owner	State of North Carolina
Operator	State of North Carolina
Capacity	5,110- Arena Football and Hockey 7,610- Basketball
Surface	Ice, Concrete, Hardwood
Opened	1952
Architect	Maciej Nowicki, William Henley Dietrick
Tenants
Triangle Torch (AIF) (2016-present) 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
NRHP Reference #	73001375 ^[1]
Added to NRHP	April 11, 1973

J.S. Dorton Arena (known to its architect as the Paraboleum) is a 7,610-seat multi-purpose arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the grounds of the North Carolina State Fair. It 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.^[2]

In the past, it has hosted many sporting events, concerts, political rallies and circuses.

Sports

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. It was also the home of the Carolina Rollergirls (WFTDA).

Triangle Torch (black jerseys with and red and yellow accents) vs. Lehigh Valley Steelhawks (gold jerseys with black accents) during a game at Dorton Arena, March 25, 2016

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.^[3]

Dorton Arena was a popular venue for professional wrestling in the 70s and 80s, with sometimes weekly matches. Wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper defeated “Nature Boy” Ric Flair for National Wrestling Alliance U.S. Heavyweight championship in Dorton Arena on Jan. 27, 1981.

Beginning in 2016 it will be the home of the Triangle Torch in American Indoor Football.^[4]

Other events

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 has hosted the 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.

Concerts in Dorton (non-fair)

Dorton Arena and Reynolds Coliseum were the only concert venues in the Capital City for many decades before Walnut Creek Amphitheater and PNC Arena were built. The building was originally designed for livestock shows, not for concerts, so while there are unobstructed views of the stage, the sound tends to bounce off the glass. Fair officials have made significant changes to improve the acoustics of the building in recent years. Many of the biggest names in entertainment have played in this arena.

Artist	Date	Citation
Ray Charles and his Augmented Orchestra	Oct. 8, 1962
Johnny Cash	September 8, 1963	Billboard Aug. 31, 1963
The Original Hootenanny starring the Journeyman, The Halifax 111, Geeezinslaw Brothers, Jo Mapes, Glenn Yarbrough	Nov. 1, 1963	Daily Tar Heel Oct. 27, 1963
Caravan of Record Stars, including the Shirelles, the Supremes and the Coasters	July 22, 1964
The Four Seasons	May 4, 1964
Beach Boys	July 12, 1965	http://vintageconcertposters.com/_main/Index.cfm?page=api/gallery/photo.cfm&id=40&gid=13&poster=Beach%20Boys%20Dorton%20Arena%201965
Warner Mack, the Wilburn Brothers, harold Morrison,	Nov. 26, 1965
The Supremes	Feb. 6, 1966	Daily Tar Heel
The Righteous Brothers	Oct. 28, 1966	Daily Tar Heel
Wilson Pickett Sho, Jr. Walker and the All Stars, Sam & Dave, Billy Stewart, James Carr, TV Mama, King Coleman and Al "TNT" Braggs and his great show orchestra	Nov. 14, 1966	Daily Tar Heel
Otis Reading, the Marvelettes, James & Bobby Purify, The Drifters	Jan. 30, 1967	Daily Tar Heel
The Supremes	Feb. 5, 1967	Daily Tar Heel (Jan. 12, 1967)
Lou Rawls	Feb. 18, 1967	Daily Tar Heel (Jan. 12, 1967)
The Temptations	March 12, 1967	Daily Tar Heel Mar 10, 1967
Beach Boys w/ Davy Jones	April 23, 1968	(rescheduled from April 6, which was cancelled due to MLK's assassination)
The Four Seasons	May 4, 1968	Billboard, April 27, 1968
Jimi Hendrix Experience	April 11, 1969	http://www.jimihendrix.com/us/encyclopedia#cat=434&tag=761,911&per_page=5&month=1969-4
Led Zepplin	April 8, 1970	http://www.ledzeppelin.com/show/april-8-1970
Country Shindig - Jerry Lee Lewis with Linda Gail Lewis	Aug. 29, 1970	http://www.lookatstubs.com/cgi-bin/tickets_searchdb.pl?venue&J.S.%20Dorton%20Arena
The Grand Funk Railroad	April 23, 1971
Jackson 5	Aug. 1, 1971
Country Shinding - Jerry Lee Lewis, Dolly Parton & Porter Wagoner	May 28, 1971	http://www.lookatstubs.com/cgi-bin/tickets_searchdb.pl?venue&J.S.%20Dorton%20Arena
James Taylor / Carole King, Jo Mama	March 4, 1971	http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/67889414/
Black Sabbath	March 6, 1972
King Crimson	March 29, 1972
Jethro Tull w/ Captain Beefheart	April 20, 1972	Billboard April 22, 1972
The Guess Who Live at the Paramount	Aug. 10, 1972	Billboard, Aug. 12, 1972
Blood Sweat and Tears w/ NC Symphony	Jan. 12, 1973
The Sylvers	Nov. 16, 1973	Billboard Magazine Oct. 27, 1973
Blood Sweat and Tears w/ NC Symphony	Jan. 12, 1974	Daily Tar Heel Jan. 9, 1974
Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings	February 15, 1974
Tom Rundgren's Utopia	March 8, 1974
KISS Rock & Roll Over tour	Nov. 27, 1976	http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/kiss/1976/dorton-arena-raleigh-nc-53d0b795.html
The Outlaws, Rick Derringer, Foghat	Jan. 22, 1977	The Technician, Jan. 24, 1977
Rick James Fire it Up tour w/ Prince	March 15, 1980
Kool and the Gang, the Gap Band, Skyy and Yarbrough and Peoples	March 27, 1981	https://d.lib.ncsu.edu/collections/catalog/technician-v61n73-1981-03-27/pages/technician-v61n73-1981-03-27_0004#p
PKM	March 1, 1982
Loverboy	September 1982	The Technician Sept. 10, 1982
Prince (Controversy Tour)	March 12, 1982
Maxwell House Give 'em A Hand Concert - Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Jerry Reed, Lee Greenwood, Cabin Fever -	July 2, 1983
Heart	Aug. 31, 1985	http://www.wolfgangsvault.com/heart/concerts/dorton-arena-august-31-1985.html
RATT / Bon Jovi 7800 Farenheit Tour	November 1, 1985
George Thorogood	Nov. 30, 1986	Daily Tar Heel Dec. 1, 1986
Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble	February 11, 1987
Petra	Nov. 2, 1990	http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/petra/1990/dorton-arena-raleigh-nc-13d0ed91.html
Climax Blues Band	Nov. 27, 1976	Billboard Nov. 27, 1976

References

1 2 Staff (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
↑ Survey and Planning Unit Staff (August 1972). "J.S. Dorton Arena" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places - Nomination and Inventory. North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2015-05-01.
↑ http://www.remembertheaba.com/Carolina-Cougars.html
↑ "AIF in Raleigh NC begins today as new team has been awarded to Raleigh, NC.". Triangle Torch. August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.

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

U.S. National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina

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

Lists by county	Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey

Other lists	Bridges National Historic Landmarks

City of Raleigh, North Carolina

Main	Notable people Wake County The Triangle North Carolina Piedmont Tallest buildings Timeline

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 The Village Subway Performing Arts: Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts Walnut Creek Amphitheatre Red Hat Amphitheater Raleigh Little Theatre Parks: William B. Umstead State Park Pullen Park JC 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 Indy Week Television: 4 WUNC (PBS - Chapel Hill) 5 WRAL (NBC) 8 WAUG-LD (Ind.) 11 WTVD (ABC) 17 WNCN (CBS) 22 WLFL (CW) 28 WRDC (MyNetworkTV - Durham) 30 WRAY (Ind./Jewelry TV - Wilson) 40 WUVC (Univision - Fayetteville) 50 WRAZ (Fox)

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

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)

Current arenas in American Indoor Football

Northern Division	Class of 1923 Arena (Philadelphia, PA) Dorton Arena (Raleigh, NC) Family Arena (St. Charles, MO) L. C. Walker Arena (Muskegon, MI) LJVM Coliseum Annex (Winston-Salem, NC) Odeum Expo Center (Villa Park, IL) Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center (Harrisburg, PA) PPL Center (Allentown, PA) William J. Myers Pavilion (Laurel, MD)

Southern Division	Albany Civic Center (Albany, GA) American Bank Center (Corpus Christi, TX) Columbus Civic Center (Columbus, GA) Germain Arena (Estero, FL) Lakeland Center (Lakeland, FL) Myrtle Beach Convention Center (Myrtle Beach, SC) Santa Ana Star Center (Rio Rancho, NM) Savannah Civic Center (Savannah, GA)

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 Roller Derby 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 UW–Milwaukee Panther 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 Indiana Farmers 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 Tennessee State Fairground Sports Arena Pershing Center Starlight Skatium Oklahoma Victory Dolls Mid-America Center North Florida Fairgrounds USA Skateplex West Texas Roller Dollz

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