Norwood Misses Roll-Land, According To Patch Survey

NORWOOD, MA - Norwood was feeling nostalgic for the days of roller and local shops and eateries, according to a weekend survey conducted on Facebook by Patch.

Although there were only 18 respondents to the question of what local business you would like to bring back, Roll-Land was the favorite with three mentions and 12 likes or hearts.

According to a Norwood Historical Society article, Roll-Land was opened on Thanksgiving Day in 1938 by Charles, John and Peter Santoro at 942 Providence Hwy., close to the corner of Dean Street. It was open year-round except on Mondays and was a popular place for people to take skating lessons, including Girl Scouts who were trying to earn merit badges.

A fire in June of 1942 caused $25,000 in damage, but the skating rink rolled back to recover.

One notable fact is that in 1957, a group of skaters brought several children with disabilities to the rink, where they could only sit and watch. Charles Santoro decided to find a way for them to feel included there and created an 18-hole miniature golf course behind the rink that opened the following year.

The disco era in the 1970s caused Roll-Land to boom, but it also brought about competition from new rinks. The era fizzled a decade later. Roll-Land managed to make a comeback in the 1990s with the advent of roller blading, but by 1997 it was only one of two left in the state, leading to its closure in 2000. It became Work Out World.

Other honorable mentions in the survey included Incredible Edibles, the Norwood Movie Theater, Parke Snow's department store, Cunmmins clothing store, Karma Boutique, Murray's Outlet, Sokos pizza shop, Honolulu and Brigham's ice cream parlour.

Is there a restaurant or business that closed during the pandemic that you would like to see return? Is there a current one that you would like to see profiled or reviewed on Patch? Please contact me, Mary Ellen Gambon, the Norwood Patch editor, at maryellen.gambon@patch.com with suggestions.