Bristol Municipal Stadium
Encyclopedia
Bristol Municipal Stadium, also referred to as the Stone Castle, is an athletic facility located on the campus of Bristol Tennessee High School
in Bristol, Tennessee
. The structure features a design that is reminiscent of Medieval Gothic architecture
and has a seating capacity
of approximately 8,000. The stadium
currently serves as the home field of the American football
team of Tennessee High School. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1987.
, the Works Progress Administration
(WPA) constructed two stadiums in the state of Tennessee
, Bristol Municipal Stadium in Bristol and Crump Stadium
in Memphis, Tennessee
. Construction of Bristol Municipal Stadium began in 1934 and was completed in 1936. The cost of 34,000 USD was shared between the federal government and the city of Bristol. A renovation of the facility was completed in 1986 at a cost of 500,000 USD.
The Stone Castle opened on October 8, 1936. The stadium has served as the home American football fields of Tennessee High School
, Virginia High School
, King College
and Emory & Henry College. In addition, the African-American high schools of Slater High School and Douglas High School, located in Tennessee
and Virginia
respectively, utilized the stadium as their American football home stadium.
that was procured from another Works Progress Administration project at nearby Beaver Creek
. The design of the stadium was influenced by Medieval Gothic architecture and features arched entries
, crenellated walls with a height of twenty feet, and corner tower
s.
Bristol Tennessee High School
Bristol Tennessee High School is a public high school located in Bristol, Tennessee, operated as part of the Bristol City School System.-History:...
in Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol, Tennessee
Bristol is a city in Sullivan County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The boundaries of both cities run parallel to each other along State...
. The structure features a design that is reminiscent of Medieval Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
and has a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of approximately 8,000. The stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
currently serves as the home field of the American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team of Tennessee High School. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1987.
History
During the era of the New DealNew Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
, the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) constructed two stadiums in the state of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Bristol Municipal Stadium in Bristol and Crump Stadium
Crump Stadium
Crump Stadium was a sports stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, built in 1934 and largely demolished in 2006. It was built as a WPA project with a capacity of 7,500. In 1939 it was enlarged to hold 25,000 spectators. In 1948 and 1949 it staged the NCAA football Delta Bowl; in 1950 the college football...
in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
. Construction of Bristol Municipal Stadium began in 1934 and was completed in 1936. The cost of 34,000 USD was shared between the federal government and the city of Bristol. A renovation of the facility was completed in 1986 at a cost of 500,000 USD.
The Stone Castle opened on October 8, 1936. The stadium has served as the home American football fields of Tennessee High School
Bristol Tennessee High School
Bristol Tennessee High School is a public high school located in Bristol, Tennessee, operated as part of the Bristol City School System.-History:...
, Virginia High School
Virginia High School (Virginia)
Virginia High School is a high school located in Bristol, Virginia. In 1999, Virginia High started offering the Tri-Cities area's first International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Classes from the Advanced Placement program are also offered to help students who are headed to college...
, King College
King College
King College is a private, comprehensive college located in Bristol, Tennessee. Founded in 1867, King is independently governed with covenant affiliations to the Presbyterian Church and the Evangelical Presbyterian Church ....
and Emory & Henry College. In addition, the African-American high schools of Slater High School and Douglas High School, located in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
respectively, utilized the stadium as their American football home stadium.
Architectural significance
The Tennessee Historical Society has referred to Bristol Municipal Stadium as the most architecturally significant stadium in Tennessee. The stadium is constructed from rough rubble limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
that was procured from another Works Progress Administration project at nearby Beaver Creek
Beaver Creek
- Places :United States*Beaver Creek, Colorado*Beaver Creek, Maryland*Beaver Creek, Minnesota*Beaver Creek, Montana*Beaver Creek Township, Michigan*Beaver Creek Township, MinnesotaCanada*Beaver Creek, Yukon, a town in the western Yukon...
. The design of the stadium was influenced by Medieval Gothic architecture and features arched entries
Arch
An arch is a structure that spans a space and supports a load. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brick architecture and their systematic use started with the Ancient Romans who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.-Technical aspects:The...
, crenellated walls with a height of twenty feet, and corner tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
s.