Braves Field
Boston, MA

   When Braves Field opened in 1915, it became the first stadium with over 40,000 seats. The Boston Braves began playing at South End Grounds II in Boston in 1894. South End Grounds II was a very small wooden park. When James Gaffney bought the club in 1911, he renovated the ballpark. However, this was not enough for his club. With the Boston Red Sox moving into Fenway Park, in 1912, Gaffney decided that it was time to build a new ballpark for his

club. In 1914, he purchased a golf club on Commonwealth Avenue for his ballpark to be built on. Construction on the ballpark began on March 20, 1915. Gafney named the new ballpark Braves Field. Parts of Braves Field’s facade were Spanish colonial and stucco with a red tile roof. The concrete and steel ballpark took only five months to construct. Opening Day came on August 18, 1915, when the Braves battled the Cardinals of St. Louis.

Braves Field became the first ballpark to seat more than 40,000 people. A single deck of 18,000 covered seats extended around homeplate and went down both foul lines. Their were two pavilions behind both the right and left field wall, which held 10,000 fans each. Located in right center field was an area called "The Jury Box" which sat 2,000 fans. Located at ground level in center field was a scoreboard. Original dimensions at Braves Field were 402 ft. (left), 550 ft. (center), and 402 ft. (right). The field was surrounded by a 10 foot wall. Behind this wall was the tracks of the Boston and Albany Railroad.

After the 1927 season, 6,000 seats were added in left and center field, to increase the amount of homeruns that were hit by the team. The fences became 353 ft. (left) and 387 ft. (center). However, this helped the opposing team more than the Braves, and the seats were removed during midseason. In 1936, when the Braves were renamed the Bees, Braves Field was renamed National League Park. But in 1940, the names were changed back to their original ones. Other changes came in the 1940’s. Fir trees were planted behind the centerfield fence to hide the smoke from the rail yard nearby. As part of a \\$500,000 remodelization in 1946, lights were added and the field was turned slightly toward right. On opening day, fans went home with green clothes, because the seats had been painted, but had not dried yet. A 68 foot scoreboard was added in 1948.

Attendance at Braves Field almost reached one million in 1946. But in the early 1950’s attendance decreased dramatically with a bad team. After the 1952, the Braves moved from Boston to Milwaukee, and into County Stadium. Braves Field never housed another professional baseball team again, but it would house football. In 1960 Braves Field was bought by Boston University and was turned into a football field. The AFL Boston Patriots, and the USFL Breakers used the facility. Most of the original Braves Field was demolished. However, the right field stands and a long building which housed the ticket office and the executive offices still remain. Braves Field was renamed Nickerson Field, and grass surfance was replaced with AstroTurf. Boston University dropped football in 1997, but the stadium still remains.