Union Grounds
Encyclopedia
Union Grounds was a baseball
park
located in the Williamsburg
section of Brooklyn, New York
. The grounds opened in 1862
and was the first baseball park enclosed entirely by a fence, thereby allowing proprietor William Cammeyer or his tenant to charge admission, permitting only paying customers to watch the games. It was built on a large block bounded by Harrison Avenue, Rutledge Street, Lynch Street, and Marcy Avenue.
During its early years Union Grounds was the home field for several ballclubs, notably including the Brooklyn Eckfords, 1862 and 1863 champions of the National Association of Base Ball Players
. In 1868, the New York Mutuals
moved in from Elysian Fields, Hoboken, New Jersey
, long-time home of Manhattan
clubs but never enclosed. The ballpark's entrance was on Rutledge Street, and a one-story building in right field, 350 feet away from home plate, was in play.
After formation of the first professional league, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
, Union Grounds was home to the New York Mutuals
from 1871
to 1876
(the only year as a member of the new National League
), the Brooklyn Eckfords
of the National Association in 1872
, and the Brooklyn Atlantics
of the National Association from 1873
to 1875
. It also served as home field for the "Hartford of Brooklyn
" team during the 1877
National League
season. On July 26, 1878, the final major league game was played on the grounds, with Providence defeating Milwaukee 4-1. The grounds continued to host barnstorming major league clubs, amateur clubs and independent clubs through the 1882 season.
The park did not sit idle during the winter. Its field was flooded and served as the rink for an ice skating club. An unusual feature of the park was the presence of a pagoda in center field.
Union Grounds was demolished in July of 1883
. Heyward Street now runs through the site, and as of 2009 the Juan Morel Campos Secondary School stands to the north of Heyward Street and the Marcy Avenue Armory stands to the south of it, with no historical marker or any other indication of the land's significance to the history of 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...
park
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...
located in the Williamsburg
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordering Greenpoint to the north, Bedford-Stuyvesant to the south, Bushwick to the east and the East River to the west. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 1. The neighborhood is served by the NYPD's 90th ...
section of Brooklyn, New York
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
. The grounds opened in 1862
1862 in sports
-Baseball:National championship* National Association of Base Ball Players champion – Brooklyn EckfordsEvents* National Association membership drops from 55 to 33 clubs, shedding every one outside greater New York except the Victory club of Troy, which plays only local matches.* Baseball laments...
and was the first baseball park enclosed entirely by a fence, thereby allowing proprietor William Cammeyer or his tenant to charge admission, permitting only paying customers to watch the games. It was built on a large block bounded by Harrison Avenue, Rutledge Street, Lynch Street, and Marcy Avenue.
During its early years Union Grounds was the home field for several ballclubs, notably including the Brooklyn Eckfords, 1862 and 1863 champions of the National Association of Base Ball Players
National Association of Base Ball Players
The National Association of Base Ball Players was the first organization governing American baseball. The first, 1857 convention of sixteen New York City clubs...
. In 1868, the New York Mutuals
New York Mutuals
The Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history. It was established during 1857, the year of the first baseball convention, just too late to be a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players. It was a charter...
moved in from Elysian Fields, Hoboken, New Jersey
Elysian Fields, Hoboken, New Jersey
Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey is believed to be the site of the first organized baseball game, giving Hoboken a strong claim to be the birthplace of baseball....
, long-time home of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
clubs but never enclosed. The ballpark's entrance was on Rutledge Street, and a one-story building in right field, 350 feet away from home plate, was in play.
After formation of the first professional league, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
National Association of Professional Base Ball Players
The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players , or simply the National Association , was founded in 1871 and continued through the 1875 season...
, Union Grounds was home to the New York Mutuals
New York Mutuals
The Mutual Base Ball Club of New York was a leading American baseball club almost throughout its 20-year history. It was established during 1857, the year of the first baseball convention, just too late to be a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players. It was a charter...
from 1871
1871 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – noneEvents* The 1871 college football season is the only one since the first season in 1869 until the present day that no games are played in the entire season...
to 1876
1876 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Yale BulldogsEvents* 23 November — representatives of Harvard Crimson, Yale Bulldogs, Princeton Tigers and Columbia Lions meet at the Massasoit House in Springfield, Massachusetts to standardise a new code of rules...
(the only year as a member of the new National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
), the Brooklyn Eckfords
Eckford of Brooklyn
Eckford of Brooklyn, or simply Eckford, was an American baseball club from 1855 to 1872. When the pioneering Union Grounds opened for baseball in 1862, the Eckfords must have been the most important tenant, for they played more games than any other club that year and won the "national"...
of the National Association in 1872
1872 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton Tigers and Yale Bulldogs Events* Five teams compete in the 1872 college football season: , , , and .-Association football:England...
, and the Brooklyn Atlantics
Brooklyn Atlantics
The Atlantic Base Ball Club of Brooklyn was baseball's first champion and its first dynasty.Established in 1855, Atlantic was a founding member of the National Association of Base Ball Players in 1857. In 1859, with a record of 11 wins and 1 loss, Atlantic emerged as the recognized champions of...
of the National Association from 1873
1873 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton TigersEvents* 19 October — representatives of Yale Bulldogs, Columbia Lions, Princeton Tigers and Rutgers Scarlet Knights meet at the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to codify the first set of...
to 1875
1875 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Harvard Crimson and Princeton Tigers Events* 13 November — first edition of "The Game", the annual contest between Yale Bulldogs and Harvard Crimson, is played under a modified set of rugby football rules known as...
. It also served as home field for the "Hartford of Brooklyn
Hartford Dark Blues
The Hartford Dark Blues were a 19th century baseball team. The team was based in Hartford, Connecticut.-History:They were a member of the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players in 1874 and 1875 and the National League in 1876 and 1877...
" team during the 1877
1877 in sports
-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Princeton Tigers and Yale Bulldogs Events* Disagreement about the number of players per team prevents Yale Bulldogs from joining Columbia Lions, Harvard Crimson and Princeton Tigers in the Intercollegiate Football...
National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
season. On July 26, 1878, the final major league game was played on the grounds, with Providence defeating Milwaukee 4-1. The grounds continued to host barnstorming major league clubs, amateur clubs and independent clubs through the 1882 season.
The park did not sit idle during the winter. Its field was flooded and served as the rink for an ice skating club. An unusual feature of the park was the presence of a pagoda in center field.
Union Grounds was demolished in July of 1883
1883 in sports
1883 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:College championship* College football national championship – Yale BulldogsEvents...
. Heyward Street now runs through the site, and as of 2009 the Juan Morel Campos Secondary School stands to the north of Heyward Street and the Marcy Avenue Armory stands to the south of it, with no historical marker or any other indication of the land's significance to the history of baseball.
Sources
- Green Cathedrals, by Philip J. Lowry, 1986.
- Ballparks of North America, by Michael Benson, 1989. Name: Union Grounds
- Long Before the Dodgers, by James L. Terry, 2002