Forward Lanes Reclaimed
Greetings Reuse Fans!
I would guess that many CJ shoppers have memories of bowling at Forward Lanes in Squirrel Hill. Maybe you are like me, who did not grow up here, but took my son bowling there about 13 years ago. Or maybe you are one of many reuse fans who did grow up in Pittsburgh, and spent time at Forward Lanes. Until last March Forward Lanes had been in operation for 94 years, so your parents or grandparents likely bowled a few strikes there in their day!
Now you can reclaim a piece of this Pittsburgh institution. CJ was provided the opportunity to salvage a wide variety of material before the interior was demolished. The best way to describe the current look of the lanes would be retro. We also got some fun stuff out of the building, and we have some reuse challenges for you.
What would you do with a ball return? We have two complete ones and another one that can be used for parts.
You could display your very own Forward Lane bowling balls, perhaps – we have many.
We also have two styles of lockers and some cool retro double-seated plastic chairs in glorious faded blue. And of course, we have bowling alley lane and it is relatively flat!
There were 16 lanes when Forward closed, and to get it out, we had to cut the material into manageable “chunks.” In all, we were able to salvage 100 slabs of lane wood, ranging from 5 feet in length up to 10 feet. The first seven feet of bowling alley lanes is Maple, which is hard wood – it needs to take the force of the bowl (regardless of how great of a bowler you are). The remainder of the lane is Douglas Fir, which has a dramatic grain pattern but is not so hard. The transition pieces featured finger-joints to tie the two types of wood together and of course the popular lane marker arrows.
We also have the tough plastic pieces that are finished to look like bowling lane, but were the protective covers for the real wood underneath. Very tough stuff. Make sure to check out this week’s 20 Coolest to see more of the items currently available in the store. You can check out our current selection of bowling lane wood here.
You may have noticed CJ’s bowling alley tables from our last bowling alley deconstruction that were Constructed at the Junction! If you would like a quote to insert walnut inlays to add lane marker arrows on your own piece of bowling alley please stop in the store and ask to speak to Mike Gable.
You can read more about the history and closing of Forward Lanes here.
