Watertown Stadium

Watertown Stadium
The stadium exterior, May 2017
Watertown Stadium is located in South Dakota
Watertown Stadium
Watertown Stadium is located in the United States
Watertown Stadium
Location1600 W Kemp Ave., Watertown, South Dakota
Coordinates44°54′07″N 97°08′22″W / 44.901958°N 97.139558°W / 44.901958; -97.139558
Area3.7 acres (1.5 ha)
Built1940
Built byWorks Progress Administration
ArchitectPerkins & McWayne
Architectural styleArt Deco
MPSFederal Relief Construction in South Dakota MPS
NRHP reference No.00000721[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 5, 2000

Watertown Stadium is a stadium in Watertown, South Dakota. It was primarily used for baseball and American football and was the home of minor-league professional baseball including, most recently (c. 1970), the Watertown Expos of the Northern League. The ballpark has a capacity of 5,000 people and opened in 1940.

It is currently used by Watertown High School, to host baseball and football games.

The stadium was built around the 1930s as Works Progress Administration Project 4265, and still holds the original plaque dedicating the structure. It is the home of the Watertown Arrows.

In 2005, an additional building was built to the East of the field. This building houses restrooms, a concession stand, and both Varsity and Sophomore locker rooms.

Panoramic view of the stadium interior configured for baseball, May 2017

The stadium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[1] It is built of reinforced concrete.[2]

Its NRHP nomination asserts:

The Watertown Stadium is a physical reminder of the unprecedented use of government aid to construct community improvements, particularly for recreation and leisure. Built in 1940, the stadium was reportedly planned as a band shelter, since the W.P.A. wanted to build them as part of their music project. According to a local story, the structure was built in phases, and it initially looked more like a bandshell. During the last phase of construction, it was then modified for use as an athletic stadium. Although the story is rumor, the existing structure is an excellent example of W.P.A. construction and one of the more outstanding federal relief projects in the northeastern part of the state.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ a b Megan D. Eades (January 2000). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Watertown Stadium". National Park Service. Retrieved January 10, 2018. With two photos from 1999.
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