Photo: University of Maryland/University Libraries
While Capital One Arena has served as the Washington Capitals’ home arena for nearly 30 years (opening as MCI Center in 1997), many fans who were around before then will recall the days of the Capital Centre, the team’s very first home barn, in Landover, Maryland.
While not an ideal professional sporting venue by the time it was replaced by MCI Center (then Verizon Center, now Capital One Arena), the Capital Centre was the site of many an iconic moment in the history of the Capitals franchise, and also served as the home of the NBA’s Washington Bullets (now Wizards).
The Capital Centre: Remembering the Caps’; First Home
With so much history attached to the Capital Centre (eventually renamed US Airways Arena), which was demolished in 2002, a local non-profit organization called The Laurel History Boys, started by Richard Friend and Kevin Leonard of Laurel, Maryland, that collects and shares history of their hometown, have started a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to put together a 280-page retrospective on the Capital Centre.
The Laurel History Boys/Kickstarter
The book, which will feature a photographical history in honor of the nearing 5o-year anniversary of the arena substantiated by photos, artifacts, anecdotes, and more, will be centered around four main aspects, per the project’s official crowdfunding page:
- the venue itself
- the concert experience
- sporting events (Washington Bullets, Washington Capitals, pro wrestling, boxing, etc.)
- and other attractions (circuses, equestrian events, monster trucks, etc.)
The book will also feature a complete, chronological timeline of events hosted by the arena, which includes the 1982 NHL All-Star Game, three NBA Finals, the famous “Easter Epic”, iconic matches of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, and presidential inaugural festivities among other events.
The book is set to be published ahead of the arena’s 50th anniversary on December 2, and the Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign ends September 18. Contributors to the project can receive various rewards depending on their contributions, including free shipping on the book upon its release, original Capital Centre memorabilia (including ticket stubs, staff jacket, and an ashtray), and more. Any pledge of $50 or more will have their name acknowledged in the book as well.
The Capital Centre was not only a historical place in the DMV, but truly a first-of-its-kind venue: it was the first to feature an indoor instant replay scoreboard, luxury suites and turnstiles, and color-coded seats (the quality of the seat differed with the colors), as well as an in-ground construction.
For more information on the project, click HERE.
More Capital Centre:
Retro Recap – All-Star Game At The Capital Centre – February 9, 1982
Miracle on Capital Centre Ice: Retro Recap; Washington Capitals vs. Montreal Canadiens – February 19, 1980
Retro Recap: A Raucous Night At Cap Centre – New York Rangers at Washington Capitals (2/22/1991)