Following up on a recent post by David Sullivan about the history of
Rensselaer's Houston Field House, reprinted below is an article by John
Maynard that appeared in The Providence Journal many years ago on the same
subject:
 
OLD DAVISVILLE WAREHOUSE NOW HOUSES RPI ICE RINK
 
"The Brown University hockey team wasn't Rhode Island's only contribution
to the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute invitational hockey tournament that
was held in Troy, N.Y., last week.
 
The gigantic, hanger-like structure housing the tourney was originally a
warehouse at the Davisville Supply Depot.  Declared war surplus, it was
given scot-free to RPI in 1948 and carted to Troy on flat-cars and by
truck.
 
Architects hired by the college redesigned the building, shortened it from
500 to 300 feet, refabricated much of the steel framework and added an
iceplant, cinder block walls and facade.
 
The field house is valued at $1,500,000 with RPI's actual cost amounting to
roughly one-third of that figure.  Without the gift of the warehouse, which
saved the college approximately a million dollars, the building would
probably not have been possible.
 
Dr. Livingston W. Houston, RPI president, defines its purpose on the campus
as a means for "furthering the educational, cultural and recreational
needs" of the tri-city area which comprises Troy, Albany and Schenectady
and represents a population potential of 400,000 persons.
 
The huge building has a clear floor space of about 60,000 feet and a
maximum capacity of 6,500 when the main floor is used for seating.
Graduation exercises are held under its dome-like roof ending once and for
all the vexing problem of rain on commencement day.  In addition, there are
public skating, figure skating and numerous cultural attractions in
addition to a full schedule of high school and college ice hockey
competition."
 
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