2 Teens Charged In Fire At Former Roller Rink

MCHENRY, IL — Two teens accused of starting a fire that destroyed a former roller rink last week now face criminal charges in McHenry County, authorities said.

The boys, who are both 14, fled the scene after starting the massive blaze at 914 N. Front Street just before 10:30 p.m. on Thursday, according to authorities. The building formerly housed the Just For Fun Roller Rink, a roller skating rink that had been in the community for 75 years before closing last fall.

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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.

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.

In total, 17 fire agencies responded to try and quell the flames amid high winds that further fueled the fire Thursday night. Officials also ended up shutting down Route 31 from Elm Street to Kane Avenue for several hours as firefighters battled the blaze. The fire, which was first reported by passersby at 10:27 p.m., was brought under control by midnight and put out by 3:30 a.m., according to fire officials.

No injuries were reported.

History Of Just For Fun Roller Rink, Route 31 Building

The building destroyed by the blaze has been a part of McHenry County for decades.

In August 1931, Clarence Neisen opened a dance hall on the property after his former dance hall, the Fox Pavilion, was burnt down in May 1931.

His first dance hall, located on Lincoln Road east of the Fox River, was very popular, but the second, which he built at the Route 31 location, did not draw the same number of people in, according to a McHenry Area Historical Society Facebook post.

In July 1945, Just For Fun Roller Rink opened. The roller rink was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hirchmugl and their son, Robert Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Hirchmugl also owned a business in Chicago called E-Z Roll Wheel Company where they made wooden skate wheels and distributed them to roller rinks throughout the country, according to the historical society Facebook post. A small part of the McHenry building was also used to manufacture the wheels.

In the early days of the skating rink, it featured organ music, and a refreshment bar was later added to the building. In addition, the rink eventually offered skating lessons, according to the Facebook post.

A slowdown in business during the COVID pandemic led to the shutdown of the Just For Fun Roller Rink last fall.

The owner of the business, Lisa Duncan, had hopes of reopening the rink, possibly in the next year.

"[S]adly that will never happen now," Duncan wrote in a post shared on community Facebook pages in the McHenry area. Duncan continues to operate a Just For Fun 2 Roller Rink in Mundelein.

Duncan said she rented the Route 31 building from the Cepulis family, and the building and property, at the time of the fire, was owned by a trust in the name of the Cepulis family. Duncan shared information regarding the ownership of the building to clear up "ugly rumors and mistruths" that were circulating following the fire.

"I hope this puts any accusations or beliefs that I or anyone associated with Just For Fun Roller Rink had any wrongdoing in this devastating fire, or the lapse in business holdings related to the building itself, (for example, building or property insurance)," she wrote in the Facebook post. "I had insurance on our business as was required when I occupied the building."

Police Continue To Seek Info

The McHenry County Police Department is continuing to investigate the recent blaze at the Route 31 building.

Anyone with information is asked to call the criminal investigation division of the McHenry Police Department at 815-363-2599. Those wishing to pass along anonymous information can call the McHenry Police Department’s tip line at 815-363-2124.