Fenway Park Primer

Fenway Park's Beginnings

Fenway's configuration and evolution

Fenway officially opened April 20, 1912 with its now famous brick facade, and steel and concrete grandstands from a little beyond first base to a little beyond third base. The original grandstands down the left and right field lines were made of wood. Until 1933, there was an earthen embankment in front of the left field wall, which became known as "Duffy's cliff" (after a star outfielder).

In 1934, Fenway was rebuilt in essentially its current geometry (compare a 1934 Osborne plan to a current plan, as on the Red Sox schedule).

The Osborne Engineering Company of Cleveland was Fenway's designer in both 1912 and 1934.

Fenway has acquired minor accretions and accouterments throughout it's history, particularly at the roof and press box levels.

Fenway Park features:

• A ballpark facade from 1912.



• Playing field configuration essentially from 1934 (except for right field), with the general orientation dating back to 1912.



• The bullpens were moved to right field in 1940, shortening the home run distance for left-handed slugger Ted Williams.



• Left field wall (a.k.a. the Green Monster) from 1934-1976:
  • The lower structural concrete base of the wall is from 1934.
  
  
  
  • The hand-operated scoreboard is partly from 1934, though it was reclad, modified, and centered in the wall in winter of 1975-76. (Previously, the scoreboard was longer and extended closer to the leftfield line.)
  
  
  
  • The 23-foot-high screen atop the left field wall was added in 1936.
  
  
  
  • The left field wall was painted all green in 1947, and thus became "the Green Monster" (previously, it was covered with large, colorful, painted billboard advertisements for Gem razor blades and other products).
  
  
  
  • The cladding and upper structure of the left field wall are from 1975-76.



• Light stanchions from 1947.



• Runways between the dugouts and clubhouses from 1952.



• Flagpole beyond center field was moved off the playing field in 1970.



• "Modern" additions (post-1975) to Fenway Park include:
  • a press box enclosed in glass and air-conditioned, 1975-6.
  
  
  
  • an electronic message board in center field, 1975-6 (upgraded in 2000).
  
  
  
  • luxury boxes placed atop the grandstand roof, 1983.
  
  
  
  • The "600 club" (glass-encased club seats) and new press box/media facilities added atop roof behind home plate, 1988.
  
  
  
  • Bathrooms upgraded, early 1990's.
  
  
  
  • Large "Coke bottles" (3D advertisements) added to the light stanchions above the left field wall, 1997. (Similar advertisements have been added nearly every year since.)
  
  
  

Preservation Notes

Fenway Park has been its present site, with its playing field in the same basic orientation, since opening in 1912. It was enlarged and rebuilt in 1933-34. Those who played at Fenway between 1912 and 1933 would still recognize the brick facade, the slope and geometry of the steel and concrete grandstand from first base to third base, the orientation of the playing field, and a large (although different) wall in left field.

Fenway's significance is not tied to a particular year or period of its history: Fenway's gradual evolution is an intrinsic part of its history and significance. Fenway is a common American landscape, a rare surviving example of a beloved and uniquely American archetype: the early twentieth century urban baseball park. Although the park continues to evolve, the basic spatial disposition of the ballpark structure with respect to the urban fabric and to the playing field persists. Philosophically, SFP's expansion/renovation plan is within this continuum of evolution to meet contemporary needs.

This document was written by Save Fenway Park!, April 2001.

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