View source for Ridgewood Park (baseball ground)

{{Short description|Baseball ground in Queens, New York, US}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name      = Ridgewood Park (baseball ground)
| nickname          = Wallace Grounds
| image             = RidgewoodParkGrandstand1922.jpg
| caption           = Ridgewood Park Grandstand, 1922
| image_size        = 250px
| fullname          = Wallace's Ridgewood Park
| location          = Wyckoff Avenue, Covert Street, [[Long Island Rail Road|LIRR]] ([[Montauk Branch|Montauk]]), Halsey Street, [[Ridgewood, Queens]], [[New York (state)|New York]]
| coordinates       = {{coord|40|41|41|N|73|54|19|W|type:landmark}}
| broke_ground      = 
| built             = 
| opened            = 1885
| renovated         = 
| expanded          = 
| closed            = 
| demolished        = 
| owner             = 
| operator          = 
| surface           = grass
| construction_cost = 
| architect         = 
| structural engineer = 
| services engineer =
| general_contractor = 
| project_manager   =
| main_contractors  = 
| former_names      = 
| tenants           = [[Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Grays / Bridegrooms]] ([[American Association (1882–1891)|AA]]) (1887–1889)<br>[[Brooklyn Gladiators]] ([[American Association (1882–1891)|AA]]) (1890)<br>[[Brooklyn Bushwicks]] (ind.) (1913–1917)<br>[[Brooklyn Royal Giants]] (ind.) (1912–1914, 1916–1917)
| seating_capacity  = 10,000
| dimensions        = 
}}
[[File:Ridgewood-map-1.jpg|thumb|This contemporary map clearly distinguishes the “Ridgewood Baseball Grounds”, near the railroad tracks, from “Ridgewood Grove” (Grauer’s Ridgewood Park) between “J. Geo. Grauer Brewery” and “Gerken’s Colosium”.]]

'''Ridgewood Park''', also known as '''Wallace's Ridgewood Park''' or the '''Wallace Grounds''',<ref name="Armbruster"/><ref name="ql.771443"/> and frequently confused with Grauer's Ridgewood Park, was a baseball ground in [[Ridgewood, Queens|Ridgewood]], [[Queens]], [[New York (state)|New York]]. Both Wallace's and Grauer's are shown in Belcher Hyde's Map of Newtown in 1915.<ref name=BelcherHyde/> The baseball field was part of a larger entertainment area bounded Wyckoff Avenue, Covert Street, Halsey Street, and Irving Avenue. (Halsey Street also bordered the old [[Capitoline Grounds]] about {{convert|2|mi}} west.) The baseball field was southwest of the [[Long Island Rail Road]]'s [[Montauk Branch]] tracks (now a dumpster alley and parking lot between Wyckoff and Irving). Eldert Street, although depicted on the map as running through the baseball grounds, was not cut through southwest of the railroad tracks and the road remains interrupted there today. Originally the park was in Queens County, before its incorporation into [[New York City]] in 1899. This facilitated Sunday baseball playing, including the charging of admission, beyond the reach of [[Sabbath]] enforcers from the then-city of [[Brooklyn]].

'''Grauer's Ridgewood Park''' or '''Grauer's Woods''' was a large parkland several blocks north of Wallace's ballpark, bounded by [[Myrtle Avenue]], Cypress Avenue, Seneca Avenue, and Decatur Street. Although some baseball was played here, this area was more of a picnic park. George Schubel in 1913 lyrically describes the pleasures of Grauer's Ridgewood Park: "Here the German families of another generation assembled and enjoyed themselves in innocent recreation very much in the manner that they were accustomed to do across the seas. Most of these parks have been eliminated, owing to the increase in land values and the decline of this sort of amusement." He also notes that "This once beautiful park is now cut up with such streets as Centre Street, George Street, Norman Street, Summerfield Street, and Willow Street, running through the land."<ref name=Schubel/>

The land that would become '''Wallace's Ridgewood Park''' was purchased by William Wallace in 1884. On April 5, 1885, the first game was played between the Brooklyn Atlantics and the Ridgewoods before a reported 3,000 fans. According to Retrosheet, Ridgewood Park was used by the [[Brooklyn Dodgers|Brooklyn Grays / Bridegrooms]] from 1887–1889<ref name=retrosheetWallace/> after they had played some games in the 1886 season at Grauer's.<ref name=retrosheetGrauer/> The Dodgers had used it strictly for Sunday games, to get around Brooklyn's [[blue law]]s. The [[Brooklyn Gladiators]] played their full 1890 schedule at Wallace's. The field was home to the semipro Ridgewoods; later the [[Brooklyn Bushwicks]] and the Negro league [[Brooklyn Royal Giants]] also played there. The park had a capacity of 10,000 in 1887.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nowlin |first=Bill |title=Ridgewood Park (New York) – Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/park/ridgewood-park-ny/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |language=en-US}}</ref>

On September 19, 1917, the grandstand burned, precipitating the Bushwicks' move to [[Dexter Park (Queens)|Dexter Park]] in 1918. Wallace apparently intended to subdivide the land put it up for sale in that year, but ultimately he would rebuild, and the property was not sold until 1927.<ref name=Cahill/> Although it was gradually reduced in size, the park survived and hosted soccer and other sports as Grand Stadium until 1959, when it was replaced by industrial buildings.<ref name=Dyte/>

Grand Stadium once again played host to the Dodgers as a training site in its waning years. The Eagle reported on February 26, 1947, that [[Branch Rickey]] "looked refreshed on his arrival at Grand Stadium to watch the 20 who had been tempted [by Mexican promoter Pasquel's contract offers] and 30 other Dodgers go through their long drill." Although this passing reference does not conclusively establish the connection, it seems that the Dodgers returned briefly to their old stomping grounds some 60 years later.<ref name=EagleFeb261947/>

Yet another Ridgewood ballpark was '''Meyerrose Park''', which existed from 1907 through 1911. It was the home of an "outlaw" Brooklyn club for two seasons, in the Atlantic League (1907) and Union League (1908). It was on part of the former Meyerrose Farm, a large block bounded by Myrtle Avenue, Gates Avenue, Covert (now Seneca) Avenue, and Woodward Avenue. After the 1911 season, it was sold to developers, and Onderdonk Avenue was cut through.[http://www.covehurst.net/ddyte/brooklyn/ridgewood.html]

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Armbruster">Brooklyn's Eastern district / Eugene L. Armbruster. Brooklyn, New York, 1942. {{OCLC|651941171}}</ref>
<ref name="ql.771443">{{cite web|url=http://www.queenslibrary.org/search/apachesolr_search/771443 |title=Major league ballparks in New York City Area, 1860-1914 |author=Cahill, William V. |date=1947 |publisher=Queenslibrary.org |access-date=2015-03-03}}
</ref>
<ref name="BelcherHyde">{{cite web|url=http://www.queenslibrary.org/search/apachesolr_search/676358 |title=Atlas of the Borough of Queens, City of New York. Volume 2A. Ward 2. Newtown |publisher=Queenslibrary.org |access-date=2015-03-03}}</ref> 
<ref name="Schubel">Illustrated history of Greater Ridgewood, together with brief sketches of its industries, organizations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men / George Schubel. Ridgewood, N.Y. : Ridgewood Times Print and Pub. Co., 1913. 
{{OCLC|306313}}</ref>
<ref name="retrosheetGrauer">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/N/PK_NYC07.htm |title=Grauer's Ridgewood Park |publisher=Retrosheet.org |access-date=2015-03-03}}</ref>
<ref name="retrosheetWallace">{{cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/N/PK_NYC18.htm |title=Wallace's Ridgewood Park |publisher=Retrosheet.org |access-date=2015-03-03}}</ref>
<ref name="Cahill">{{cite web|url=http://www.queenslibrary.org/search/apachesolr_search/771443 |title=Major league ballparks in New York City Area, 1860-1914 |author=Cahill, William V. |date=1947 |publisher=Queenslibrary.org |access-date=2015-03-03}}</ref>
<ref name="Dyte">{{cite web|url=http://www.covehurst.net/ddyte/brooklyn/ridgewood.html |title=BrooklynBallParks.com - Ridgewood |publisher=Covehurst.net |access-date=2015-03-03}}</ref>
<ref name="EagleFeb261947">"Rickey and Dodgers Brush Off Pasquel" Brooklyn Daily Eagle, (February 26, 1947), page 15</ref>
}}

==External links==
*[http://www.covehurst.net/ddyte/brooklyn/ridgewood.html BrooklynBallParks.com]
*[https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3804qm.g3804qm_g06198190203/?sp=21 Sanborn map showing part of Grauer's, 1902]
*[https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3804qm.g3804qm_g06198190203/?sp=15&st=image Sanborn map showing Wallace's Ridgewood Park, 1902]
*[https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3804qm.g3804qm_g06198191403/?sp=67 Sanborn map showing Wallace's Ridgewood Park, 1914]

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{{Los Angeles Dodgers}}
{{Brooklyn Royal Giants}}
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[[Category:Baseball venues in New York City]]
[[Category:Defunct baseball venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Former sports venues in New York City]]
[[Category:Ridgewood, Queens]]
[[Category:Soccer venues in New York City]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Queens, New York]]