My family has owned property in Chincoteague, Virginia, since 1990. It was our go-to summer vacation spot; a quiet and quaint little beach town with pristine white sand beaches and ponies clopping around like they were human.
I fell in love with the Eastern Shore a long time ago. The setting sun striking the water and reeds at just the right angle produces blues and yellows and greens that I’ve yet to see anywhere else in the world. There is a peace to being in a small town on the water, as if I have stepped back into a simpler, safer, less complicated time.
My parents chose to retire in Chincoteague. This turns all of our family gatherings into compulsory beach trips. A tragedy, I assure you.
The trip from Washington DC to Chincoteauge is a straight-forward, 3.5 hour affair, with little to see except the flat sprawling farmlands that hug Route 50 and Route 13. The occasional farmer’s market or antique store breaks up the monotony of corn and juvenile potatoes. It’s an easy, relaxing drive that usually helps soften and melt the stress of hectic DC life.
Just before the island, there is a 10 mile stretch that passes through the unassuming town of New Church, VA. It boasts a population of 205, dozens of annex offices for corporations supporting the nearby Wallops Island NASA base, and the ruins of a yellow and red building that dominates the major curve on the road through town.
This was someone’s dream, once.
I can remember when this wasn’t the shell of a venue, but a fully operational roller rink. If the parking lot on a Friday night was any example of the success of the business, The Dream Roller Rink was thriving in the mid-nineties. It often had signs promoting “all-skate nights” and food specials. Given the lack of not-beach-related activities in Chincoteague, I can imagine this roller rink was a great place for kids to spend evenings while on vacation.
Just behind the decaying rink, a short road leads to another yellow and red building in an even worse state of disrepair.
I’ve never actually been to a drive-in theater, which seems a shame.
This matching ruin was once a matching drive-in theater, owned by the same family. Both were built in 1940 by Elijah Justice who wanted to offer some entertainment for the local population and the sailors from the nearby Chincoteague Naval Air Station. The station closed in 1959 and the Justice family fought for decades to keep both the rink and drive-in financially soluble despite a dwindling pool of patrons.
Through the 70’s and 80’s the drive-in showed exclusively pornographic movies, which seems really bizarre for an open-air, drive in theater. Despite these attempts to bring in revenue through any means possible, the theater officially stopped its projectors in 1988. The screen, stained and drooping, hung on until 1998.
The only signs that this was ever a drive-in are the decaying brick concession stand and dozens of speaker poles, which have all been dug up and de-speakered.
No parking, even if you could.
The rink stayed open for two more decades, finally shutting down in 2008. A local developer, Don Brown, bought the rink and drive-in, hoping to restore both to bring an Art Deco renaissance back for the seasonal visitors to enjoy. Unfortunately, his vision was never achieved due to a land dispute with a neighbor and some poorly drawn property lines.
In the five years since it closed, The Dream has suffered the ravages of coastal storms, acrid salt air, and petty vandalism. The lipstick red has faded to cracking pink, and the mustard yellow has washed out to pale daisy. A relatively clean spot marks where the illuminated sign used to sit above the main entrance. It is a haunting reminder of a different time, socially and economically.
I couldn’t find what happened to the rest of the Justice family, but I assume they’ve long since abandoned their dreams of The Dream.
Roller Rink – Before and After:
Top image courtesy Cary Scott, 2008. Bottom image courtesy me, 2012.
Drive-In – Before and After:
Top image courtesy Drive-In Theatres of the Mid-Atlantic, 1998. Bottom image courtesy me, 2012.
Another interesting note: Writer Paul Hendrickson wrote an article about The Dream for the Washington Post on June 24, 1988, the same year the drive-in portion closed down.
Tagged: art deco, chincoteague, drive in, drive-in theater, east coast, eastern shore, forgotten friday, roller rink, ruins, the dream, virginia
At first, I had a tough time imagining the sun setting over the water on an Eastern shore, but I continued reading and saw it was an island. 🙂
This reminded me so much of my family’s ‘summer cabin’ that was on the Colorado River. I use the past tense because they had to let it go this year. So many memories and it’s become a shadow of its former self.
You’ve inspired me to write up a similar post. Thanks Oliver!
We used to go to drive-ins quite a bit when we were young. Shame there’s no place for them now.
I saw ‘Night of the Living Dead’ at the drive-in. Almost a cult thing with ‘hooligans’ dressed up like zombies walking along the side of the road after the movie.
I love these posts about forgotten places.
I grew up in Fredericksburg, VA, and my school had a roller-skating night once a month. I have fond memories of wearing navy blue eye liner and skating around to “Oh Mickey.” Yes, it was in the early 80s.
I also remember going to the drive-in with my parents.
Such great coming-of-age traditions that have been lost throughout most of the country.
I sometimes wonder how viable a drive-in would be these days. They are great!
We pass the building on the way to our new refuge on Chincoteague. I’ve heard stories of the roller rink, but not the drive in. Thank you for sharing the history of a place we have grown to love.
The Dream is set for demolition very soon. Just found out today:(
2017, nothing yet, thank goodness. I’m trying to put it in a few people’s ears, to maybe pool together with a very important person with connections, and see if it can be brought back to life… But reading g the property disputes and all that, maybe it’s just a ‘dream’ or wishful thinking. I’m sure we can get many more to back us up with donations, everyone I talk to wants this opened back up. Sadly the younger generations have nothing to do on the shore anymore bit get into trouble.
I never really thought that I would care much about Chincoteague Island, but I find myself after many years of being moved away that I am looking for some old places I used to frequent. I was a Coast Guard spouse, emphasis on the was. I had a very negative experience in this area, except for, The Dream.
I actually was employed here in or around 2002. Mr. Jimmy, God bless his soul, was a wonderful man and I’ll never forget him. I worked in the ticket booth and the kitchen, making food for the patrons. Mr. Jimmy’s grandsons…I remember one named Elijah, and there was a younger one(name escapes me) were regularly there too. I’ve always been a skater, and honestly seeing these pictures makes me tear up. It was really the only place that offered clean entertainment without booze in the area. I have fond memories of my employer. Mr. Jimmy would be at just about every opening to close and I remember specifically one time he came to me and said, “You are such a good worker, how about a raise”? I had only been there a couple of weeks and he was very generous and gave me quite a raise. Anyways, I have a place in my heart for this roller rink and the man who ran it.
I was really sad to hear that they’re doing to demolish the building now that it’s been unoccupied for so many years. Rumor is they’re going to build a movie theater. I’m sure that’ll be nice for the summer tourists, but I’m not sure it’s what the area needs.
Either way, it’ll never be as charming as the rink and drive-in combo. I was too young to really enjoy it, but I’ll still miss what it represents from my youth.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Thank you for writing about “The Dream” and for documenting the buildings, especially since it sounds like they are not going to be around for much longer. It’s such a shame to see what they have become. I guess I was there in its heyday, because I too remember the full parking lot and lots of people happily skating around in circles. The last time I was there was probably 1992. We were the exciting “out of towners” who got to interact with the local kids. Definitely good times….
I skated at Dream back in 1955-1956. What a pleasure. I was stationed at NAS Chincoteague with Guided Missile Group 2.I skated almost every night. After coming home I ended up managing two rinks. Rollatorium, located in San Pablo, Ca. also Roller Rink, located in San Rafael. Ca. As with Dream, they are also long and gone but not forgotten I have a photo of Dream I took back in 1956 if you wish to have it
I grew up minutes from The Dream…..It was the best days of our lives and we so Loved Jimmy, Mary Lou, Little Jimmy, & Debbie Justice….They were like family to All of us and so missed by everyone!
Amelia “White” Adams
Chincoteague Island is my childhood. I grew up there and moved away many years ago. The Dream was the skating rink my older sister worked at and I got to go with her a lot. This was back in the early 80’s. I still remember the inside very well from back then. I can’t believe what it looks like today or that it’s being demolished. The Dream as well as the bus we rode to get there are still pretty strong memories for me. The pictures of the abandoned skating rink that was once The Dream are heartbreaking.
Yea, it’s really derelict. Looks even worse these days. Makes my heart sad.
Damn, that takes me back to the early 90’s. Was never much into skating there but there Arcade in the front was great! A few friends would load up the car on a Sunday afternoon and the parents would drive us out there NEW CHURCH. There pizza wasn’t too bad either, even went to a few birthday parties there. It was also the height of the Ninja Turtles and the Nintendo….. A majority of kids will never experience Drive-ins, roller rinks, or arcades 😦 Too Bad, A lot of historical businesses are getting new life thanks to the National Record of Historical Places! Our drive in here in Kenosha, WI just closed last summer after almost 65 years of service 😦 A lot of things on/around Chincoteague just died after most the teenagers graduated in the mid-late 90’s. The Arcade got smaller (thanks playstation LOL), roller rink got less hip, people started to travel farther for entertainment. Going to Salisbury to watch movies instead of going to the Roxy, shopping wal-mart instead of most businesses on Chincoteague. It was a rare place to grow up and even stayed there til 2006… as I get older I do miss it but unless a lot has changed, not a lot of things for kids in there 20’s to do. my family was a 3rd generation ‘Teaguer. Most people used to work hard as hell (two to three job) in the summer months because once school started, there went the tourist. I was lucky landing almost full-time work at Fresh Pride, Dollar General, and even had a good customer base for my small Computer Repair business and sold somethings on eBay. My Dad was a local Painter which was very good at (in the early 2000’s, painting building’s like H&H Pharmacy, The Village Restaurant, & a bunch of Victorian Houses on Main, Willow, and Mumford Street). A few of my 2nd and 3rd cousins are scattered around the eastern shore. — Jason Hicks, Class of 2000, Chincoteague High. P.S. never got at Eastern Shore Accent!
Where are you Jimmy! Road down the road with you everyday in the back of a Dodge pickup to Northhamton County H.S. 1976 Good times. Jimmy could skate!
Oliver, I was very happy to stumble across your article when I did a Google search for The Dream. Although I’d only been by the place a few times when my wife and I were driving from Philly to Chincoteague, I was always mesmerized by the sheer presence of the building and those red letters over the door! Actually, I really looked forward to seeing The Dream on our travels. About 3 years ago when we took our teens to their 1st Chincoteague from our current home in California, we hit the familiar stretch of road and said “What Happened?” No more dream! I’ll be honest, I was upset. I enjoyed your article on The Dream tremendously. Thanks for creating it, and I thank all the other contributors on this site for sharing their Dream memories.
They should reopen it shouldn’t matter about property lines. This was a good place. Love seeing Mr. Jimmy, Mrs. Mary lou and them where great people. They where there every time the doors where open sick or not they would show up through the night. I remember getting there early cause we didn’t want to wait in line for 30 minutes to 1 to get in. It was a fun family environment. They did lessons and family night it was amazing. I feel this should be brought back to life for the kids now days there isn’t much here in the winter time for kids to do. So yes this should be brought back I think it would be a great come back for kids. Be like Mr. Jimmy and them no fighting, no low cut clothing, if you did these things you got kicked out for a week or two depending on how bad it was. He never let people get away with dumb stuff. Loved it here. Hope one day it will reopen or some one will open one somewhere here on the shore.
Maybe a gofund account with the right leadership?
The Virginian Pilot did a nice article about The Dream before it closed and I took a side trip to see it. I was there during the day but got a guided tour of the rink by one of the people that worked there.
Thank you for preserving this information. We travel past it every year on our family vacation to the Island. I always wanted to see some photos in its prime. I would really love to see what it looks like inside. -Joe
Such simpler times that are still so longed for and for a time more and then will soon be forgotten.