Residents reflect on fond memories of Bowlmor Lanes

MATTAPOISETT — Last week, the news dropped that Bowlmor Lanes won’t reopen and is slated for a winter demolition.

The lights may be off, and the duckpins may no longer be racked, but the memories made were recounted by residents young and old as the story spread throughout social media.

One Mattapoisett resident, Tim Smith, took it upon himself to create a tribute video full of old photos and newspaper clippings.

“There’s just a lot of good memories for me and my family,” Smith said. Between digging up old photos of his and newspaper clippings, it took about an hour to make the video. 

After its release, Smith said one of the former owners, Kathy Macedo, reached out to him and thanked him for creating the tribute.

Dozens of other people shared the story and left comments of the times they spent there growing up. 

“So sad,” said Miguel Brito in a comment on one of the posts in Facebook group Mattapoisett Life. “I spent so much of my youth there bowling and playing pinball. Mrs. Renehan, whose family owned the place, was a classy lady who we all loved and always celebrated us with trophies and a party.”

Residents shared stories of getting dropped off from Old Rochester Regional High School for bowling leagues, spending rainy days at the alley, and celebrating birthdays with friends.

Toddi Mello even suggested for the alley to be registered on the National Register of Historic Places because of the scarcity of duckpin bowling alleys that are still in existence. 

Sue Penta, one of the co-owners of Bowlmor Lanes, is from Newton, but she spent summers raising her children in Mattapoisett.

She used to bring her children there in the summer and bowl with them. Her grandparents also used to drive from Plymouth to eat at Cathway Temple (now Ying Dynasty) for their anniversary every year.

“The building has a lot of history in Mattapoisett,” Penta said. 

She said that Angelo Paolini, one of the co-owners who passed away this year, said that his family also spent summers here in Mattapoisett and would enjoy the bowling alley.