On the evening of November 14, 1928, President Calvin Coolidge ushered in a new era for New England and the world. Using a ceremonial key made from nuggets of Yukon gold, Coolidge switched on the lights of the recently constructed Boston Garden from the White House via the newest telegraph technology of the time. Three days later, the Garden opened its doors to the public for the first time and the rest, as they say, is history.
At the time of its grand opening, not even creator Tex Rickards could have imagined how legendary the arena on Causeway Street would become. For more than 66 years, the Garden played host to the best and brightest in the world of sports and entertainment.
Over the years, all of music's hottest stars, from the Beatles to Aerosmith, rocked the house. The Boston Celtics, led by names like Auerbach, Russell, Cousy and Bird, built themselves into one of the premier franchises in the NBA, garnering a league-record 16 world titles along the way. The Bruins added another five world championship banners to the Garden rafters with Orr, Esposito, Bucyk and Neely among others leading the way.
It was the place where families went to watch their favorite shows, like the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, or the Harlem Globetrotters. It also served the city's political needs, featuring speeches from some of the greatest politicians of all-time, including Churchill, FDR and Kennedy.
On September 29, 1995, the old Garden closed its doors to the public for the last time with a nostalgic evening of entertainment. The following night, a spectacular gala was held at the sparkling FleetCenter to usher in a new era for sports and entertainment in New England. With many of the historical reminders from the old structure having now been moved next door to the state-of-the-art FleetCenter, the tradition of building memories begins again.
In 1946, when Boston Celtics President Walter Brown planned a $11,000 basketball floor to be built in Boston Arena (Northeastern University's Matthews Arena), he didn't know that he would be building a tradition in Boston that has become more than the NBA teams that play on it. The old Boston Arena is actually presently Northeastern University's Matthews Arena. Prior to the parquet. The Boston Celtics played games on the cement floor of the Boston Arena to lessen their game schedule at Boston Garden.
Brown recognized the immediate need for a floor and inquired about construction. Due to the post-World War II lumber shortages, the East Boston Lumber Company had to construct the floor in a parquet style, in which small pieces of wood are pieced together. Thus, as a result of wartime aftermath and an immediate need for a floor, the court was built in a very untraditional manner.
The original parquet floor was moved from Boston Arena to Boston Garden in December 1952, and quickly adopted the nickname "Cousy floor" after Celtics star Bob Cousy (otherwise known as the "Prince of the Parquet"). According to legend, it was believed that Cousy used his knowledge of the parquet's dead spots and warped boards to his advantage allowing him to steal dribbles and passes from his opponents.
The current parquet floor consists of 247 panels held together by wood planks and brass screws with the help of an additional 988 bolts. When constructed for home games, the floor is pieced together by a group of FleetCenter workers known as the "Bull Gang."
The parquet floor has been refurbished several times with August 1997 being the most recent restoration. During the six-week process, the floor is sanded, clear sealant is applied, and court lines and the Celtics logo are repainted.
Through the years, the parquet has withstood the quick-paced, rubber-soled sneakers, the constant dribbling, and the frequent assembling and disassembling for home games. In September 1995, the floor was moved next door from the old Boston Garden to its current home in the FleetCenter. For sports fans from around the country, the parquet floor at the FleetCenter has been and will continue to be the foundation of a great sports tradition in New England.
In order to share the excitement of the tradition with loyal Celtics fans and basketball enthusiasts, the arena offers the opportunity to rent the arena for corporate functions or special events. Fans from across the country have the opportunity to dribble, shoot, pass and score from the very same parquet floor that withstood the bounce of Bird and the magic of McHale. As the cameras click and parents and friends cheer, the sound of squeaky sneakers echoes throughout the arena as basketball amateurs become part of a sporting tradition which has lasted more than 50 years.
