Thompson Stadium (Staten Island)
Encyclopedia
Thompson Stadium was a football
stadium used by the Staten Island Stapletons
of the National Football League
from 1924 until 1933. It was located on the site of present Berta A. Dreyfus Intermediate School 49
and the Stapleton Houses
. They faced many other teams that still exist today.
The stadium was built in the early 1920s by the wealthy owner of the local Thompson's lumber company. It was built against a hill in Staten Island's
Stapleton neighborhood and doubled in summer as a home for semi-pro
baseball
. Inside its stockade fence, about 8,000 uncovered bleacher seats encircled the field. The field's locker rooms consisted of sheds standing just outside the fence. One of Stapleton owners, Dan Blaine's
restaurants was located next door, and after games and practices players and fans would meet up for beers.
A devoted following of 3,000 fans paid their way into every game, but another couple hundred usually watched for free from the hill behind the south end zone. Although far smaller than venues places like the Polo Grounds
and Wrigley Field
, Thompson's Stadium hosted four years of NFL football. The stadium was demolished in 1958.
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...
stadium used by the Staten Island Stapletons
Staten Island Stapletons
The Staten Island Stapletons also known as the Staten Island Stapes were a professional American football team founded in 1915 that played in the National Football League from 1929 to 1930. The team was based in the Stapleton section of Staten Island. Under the shortened nickname the "Stapes"...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1924 until 1933. It was located on the site of present Berta A. Dreyfus Intermediate School 49
Berta A. Dreyfus Intermediate School 49
Berta A. Dreyfus Intermediate School 49 is a middle school in Staten Island, in New York City, New York, United States. It was previously known as "Junior High School 49."...
and the Stapleton Houses
New York City Housing Authority
The New York City Housing Authority provides public housing for low- and moderate-income residents throughout the five boroughs of New York City. NYCHA also administers a citywide Section 8 Leased Housing Program in rental apartments...
. They faced many other teams that still exist today.
The stadium was built in the early 1920s by the wealthy owner of the local Thompson's lumber company. It was built against a hill in Staten Island's
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
Stapleton neighborhood and doubled in summer as a home for semi-pro
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. Inside its stockade fence, about 8,000 uncovered bleacher seats encircled the field. The field's locker rooms consisted of sheds standing just outside the fence. One of Stapleton owners, Dan Blaine's
Dan Blaine
Daniel Blaine was an professional football player for the Staten Island Stapletons from 1915 until 1924. In 1915 he, along with three other players, formed the team to play other semi-pro teams from New York and New Jersey. He suspended his football career in 1918 to serve in the United States...
restaurants was located next door, and after games and practices players and fans would meet up for beers.
A devoted following of 3,000 fans paid their way into every game, but another couple hundred usually watched for free from the hill behind the south end zone. Although far smaller than venues places like the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
and Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
, Thompson's Stadium hosted four years of NFL football. The stadium was demolished in 1958.