Griffith Stadium

Griffith Stadium
	Griffith Stadium in 1960
Former names	National Park; (1911–1922)
Location	Howard University campus, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Coordinates	38°55′3″N 77°1′13″W / 38.91750°N 77.02028°W
Owner	Washington Senators
Operator	Washington Senators
Capacity	27,000 (1911–1932); 32,000 (1933–1947); 28,085 (1948); 29,731 (1949–1953); 29,023 (1954–1957); 28,669 (1958–1960); 27,550 (1961)
Field size	(Final); Left Field – 388 ft (118 m); L. Center – 360 ft (110 m); Center F. – 421 ft (128 m); R. Center – 373 ft (114 m); Right Field – 320 ft (98 m); Backstop – 61 ft (19 m)
Surface	Natural grass
Construction
Opened	July 24, 1911
Closed	September 21, 1961
Demolished	January 26, 1965
Construction cost	$100,000
Architect	Osborn Engineering
Tenants
	Washington Senators (I) (MLB) (1911–1960); Washington Potomacs (ECL) (1924); Washington Pilots (EWL) (1932); Washington Elite Giants (NNL) (1936–1937); Homestead Grays (1940–1948); Washington Black Senators (NNL) (1938); Washington Senators (II) (MLB) (1961); Washington Redskins (NFL) (1937–1960); Georgetown Hoyas (NCAA) (1925–1950); George Washington Colonials (NCAA) (1930–1960); Maryland Terrapins (NCAA) (1948)

Griffith Stadium stood in Washington, D.C., from 1911 to 1965, between Georgia Avenue and 5th Street (left field), and between W Street and Florida Avenue NW.

The site was once home to a wooden baseball park. Built in 1891, it was called Boundary Field, or National Park after the team that played there: the Washington Senators/Nationals. It was destroyed by a fire in 1911.

It was replaced by a steel and concrete structure, at first called National Park and then American League Park; it was renamed Clark Griffith Stadium for Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith in 1923.^[1] The stadium was home to the American League Senators from 1911 through 1960, and to an expansion team of the same name for their first season in 1961.

The venue hosted the All-Star Game in 1937 and 1956 and World Series games in 1924, 1925, and 1933. It served as home for the Negro league Homestead Grays during the 1940s, when it hosted the 1943 and 1944 Negro World Series. It was home to the Washington Redskins of the National Football League for 24 seasons, from the time they transferred from Boston in 1937 through the 1960 season.

The ballpark was demolished in 1965; the site is now occupied by Howard University Hospital.

^ Leavengood, Ted (2011). Clark Griffith: The Old Fox of Washington Baseball. McFarland. pp. 139–142. ISBN 978-0-7864-6386-2.

[Leavengood-1] Leavengood, Ted (2011). Clark Griffith: The Old Fox of Washington Baseball. McFarland. pp. 139–142. ISBN 978-0-7864-6386-2.

[1]

Construction
Griffith Stadium in 1960

Former names	National Park (1911–1922)
Location	Howard University campus, Washington, D.C., U.S.
Coordinates	38°55′3″N 77°1′13″W / 38.91750°N 77.02028°W / 38.91750; -77.02028
Owner	Washington Senators
Operator	Washington Senators
Capacity	27,000 (1911–1932) 32,000 (1933–1947) 28,085 (1948) 29,731 (1949–1953) 29,023 (1954–1957) 28,669 (1958–1960) 27,550 (1961)
Field size	(Final) Left Field – 388 ft (118 m) L. Center – 360 ft (110 m) Center F. – 421 ft (128 m) R. Center – 373 ft (114 m) Right Field – 320 ft (98 m) Backstop – 61 ft (19 m)
Surface	Natural grass
Opened	July 24, 1911
Closed	September 21, 1961
Demolished	January 26, 1965
Construction cost	$100,000
Architect	Osborn Engineering
Tenants
Washington Senators (I) (MLB) (1911–1960) Washington Potomacs (ECL) (1924) Washington Pilots (EWL) (1932) Washington Elite Giants (NNL) (1936–1937) Homestead Grays (1940–1948) Washington Black Senators (NNL) (1938) Washington Senators (II) (MLB) (1961) Washington Redskins (NFL) (1937–1960) Georgetown Hoyas (NCAA) (1925–1950) George Washington Colonials (NCAA) (1930–1960) Maryland Terrapins (NCAA) (1948)