American Legion Memorial Stadium
| American Legion Memorial Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Memorial Stadium | |
| Former names | American Legion Memorial Stadium (1936-present) |
| Location | Elizabeth, Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Broke ground | January 1934 |
| Opened | September 1, 1936 |
| Owner | City of Charlotte |
| Operator | Mecklenburg Park & Rec |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Construction cost | ?? |
| Architect | ?? |
| Capacity | 21,000 24,000 (? - 2009) 16,000 (2009) |
| Tenants | |
| Central High School 1936-1959 CC UNC football (1946)[1] Charlotte Hornets (WFL) 1974-1975 Carolina Lightnin' (ASL) 1981-1984 JCSU Golden Bulls (homecoming games) Charlotte Hounds (MLL) Beginning 2012 CMS High School Football Games (Big Match-ups) Local soccer, football, rugby, and lacrosse championships |
|
American Legion Memorial Stadium is 21,000-capacity stadium located on 7th Street in the Elizabeth community of Charlotte, North Carolina. Memorial Stadium is mainly used for high school sporting events and also serves as a public venue. Prior to the construction of nearby Bank of America Stadium, Memorial Stadium was Charlotte's largest outdoor venue, and is still the largest municipal venue in the city.
Ground was broken on the stadium in 1934 and the gates were officially opened two years later in 1936. Named in honor of local soldiers who fell in World War I, the stadium was a project of the Works Progress Administration.[2]
Throughout the years the stadium has hosted events of every kind, ranging from Presidential addresses to classic professional wrestling encounters featuring local hero Ric Flair. The stadium formerly hosted Charlotte (Central) High School (which is now Garinger).For many years afterward as the city grew and opened more high schools, the stadium was used practically every week during the football season to accommodate both schools which had no campus stadium and large crowds which some campus stadiums could not contain for the more popular match-ups. The stadium continues to play a large role in Charlotte-Mecklenburg high school football to this day as it hosts big ticket match-ups such as Butler v. Independence.
It is located on a complex with the Grady Cole Center. Both are located next to Central Piedmont Community College. Independence Park Stadium, a tiny public baseball stadium, is also close by.
For the past few years the stadium has hosted several band competitions. It has hosted the battle of the Bands between the biggest HBCUs in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. It has also hosted Drum Corps International competitions hosted by Carolina Crown.
For several years (until the mid-1990s) the stadium annually hosted the Shrine Bowl which was a match-up of the top high school football players in North Carolina and South Carolina.
In late 2009 the east end of the stadium suffered significant damage after a storm drain under the structure caved in causing the stand to collapse. The stadium was closed for several months while repairs were made, in July 2010 the stadium was reopened with a reduced capacity as a grass berm largely replaced the old seating.[3]
It was reported in January 2011 that Memorial Stadium will serve as the home field for the newly announced Charlotte Major League Lacrosse team. The Charlotte Hounds are scheduled to begin play in the 2012 season.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.charlotte49erfootball.com/our-story.html
- ^ http://www.cmhpf.org/Surveys&rmemorialstadium.htm
- ^ http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/08/01/1594559/memorial-stadium-ready-to-reopen.html
[edit] External links
- Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission: A.L. Memorial Stadium- Includes photos and history.
- Memorial Stadium and Grady Cole Center at Google Maps
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||
