What's that old ballpark??

[emart]

I'm watching the entire Ken Burns documentary [i:818ebc9732]Baseball[/i:818ebc9732] from front to back. In the first segment, they show a spectacular ballpark from the pre-1900 era and they don't identify it. Its old style with very tall grandstands behind home plate, and there are castle-like circular spires (or something like them) at points above the grandstands, and I think they had flags on top of the spire-like things. I've spent a couple hours on the web and can't find a photo of it.

Its not Palace of the Fans.

Anybody recognize my lousy description?

[george barnard]

Could it be Exhibition Park, home of the Pirates?

[img:aee48285af]http://home.mindspring.com/~gearhard/images/expo.jpg[/img:aee48285af]

Bill

[george barnard]

[img:6e279f0d77]http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5299/5454731119_b6f9a54a8c.jpg[/img:6e279f0d77]

[img:6e279f0d77]http://www.parsec-sff.org/con00/pics/expark.gif[/img:6e279f0d77]

Just in case it does turn out to be Exhibition Park (apparently located where 3 Rivers Stadium was).....If it isn't, they're still nice pictures.

Bill

[emart]

Turns out it is [b:4dcca45b56]South End Grounds[/b:4dcca45b56] #2 in Boston.

Don't know how to post a photo, but here's a link: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SouthEndGrounds_GS1.png[/url]

[i:4dcca45b56]The second South End Grounds was opened on May 25, 1888. Sometimes called the Grand Pavilion, it was indeed the grandest of the ballpark's three incarnations, consisting of a large double-decked grandstand behind home plate and uncovered stands stretching down the right and left field lines, as well as bleachers in right-center field. The medieval-style "witch's cap" turrets were a very popular decoration on public seating structures of the 1880s and 1890s. The ballpark seated 6,800 by one estimate. It was the only double-decked baseball stadium ever built in Boston, apart from the rooftop seating which has turned the single-decked Fenway Park into a de facto double-deck ballpark. The stadium was destroyed in the Great Roxbury Fire of May 15, 1894, which began when children started a small fire beneath the right field bleachers, and which spread and destroyed the stadium and 117 other buildings. During the rebuilding process, the Bostons played their home games at Congress Street Grounds, where they achieved some history in a short time.[/i:4dcca45b56]
[/img]

[george barnard]

[img:ca597eb54e]http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/INCORP/baseball/images/soend1.jpg[/img:ca597eb54e]

It was something, wasn't it? Looks like castle turrets (or their like) were de rigueur in Gilded Age baseball architecture. Sure, the new stadiums today have brick and idiosyncracies, but I say, BRING BACK THE TURRETS!

Bill

Another shot

[img:ca597eb54e]http://www.suntala.com/historic/south_end_grounds.jpg[/img:ca597eb54e]

ps to post an image, click on "Img", paste in address, and click on "Img" again

[emart]

Thanks, Bill. Hadn't seen the second image, that's great.

[BDWard]

What a pair of great and unique looking old ballparks! Thanks so much for posting the pics.

In the last picture, is that roof top seating on the buildings outside the stadium down the right field line?

[emart]

Palace of the Fans in Cincinnati at the turn of the 20th century.

[img:e0d2fa49f1]http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l628/emart415/PalceotFans2.jpg[/img:e0d2fa49f1]

[i:e0d2fa49f1]The Palace of the Fans, so audaciously named, also presented a striking appearance. Built partially of concrete, and designed in a neo-classic style reminiscent of Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the Palace featured an extravagant facade, with 22 hand-carved Corinthian columns with elaborate details at the top, and opera-style private boxes in front of the covered grandstand. The grandstand actually sat atop carriage stalls so that the wealthy could simply drive directly to the game, an early precursor of "luxury suites". The grandstand was unique: a blend of Roman and Greek styling that had never been used before in a grandstand, and has never been seen since. The 3,000-seat grandstand featured 19 "fashion boxes" along the front railing that could hold 15 or more well-to-do fans. Beneath the grandstand, at field level, was standing room for 640 more spectators in a rowdy section known as "Rooter's Row." This section was so close to the players, the fans could take part in on-field conversations. Rooters Row was also strategically placed by the bar. The facade behind home plate contained the word "CINCINNATI". This was obviously of no benefit to anyone in attendance, assuming they knew where they were, but it ensured that pictures of the stands would inform viewers. However, the designers of the park forgot to include dugouts or clubhouses for the players.[/i:e0d2fa49f1]