Preservation Plan and Conditions Assessment: World War Memorial Stadium, Greensboro, North Carolina

SKA Consulting Engineers, Inc.; Teague Freyaldenhoven Freyaldenhoven Architects and Planners, LLP

From executive summary: "World War Memorial Stadium (WWMS), was built in 1926 as an outdoor sports venue and gifted to the City of Greensboro by the American Legion. In addition to being a stadium, WWMS serves as a memorial dedicated to the Veterans who lost their lives fighting in what is now known as World War I. Constructed primarily of reinforced concrete in a simple neo-classical style with an inverted “J” shaped grandstand, WWMS stadium has an existing estimated capacity of 8,500 people. In its earliest years, WWMS stadium’s, primary function was to serve local amateur school athletics teams in track and field, football and baseball competitions. North Carolina A&T State University’s semi-professional football club first used WWMS for games as early as 1927. In 1930, WWMS was renovated with lights and a steel grandstand canopy in order to serve as the home field to Greensboro’s professional minor league baseball team; a role it would continue to maintain on and off until Newbridge Bank Ballpark opened in 2004. At the time of its closing to professional baseball, WWMS was believed to be the oldest minor league ballpark still in use in the country. Over the course of 7 decades, WWMS has undergone a series of upgrades, re-configurations and renovations. However the original fabric of the historic stadium has never been altered significantly from the 1926 design making it unique from other buildings of its type. At the time of initial development for the new Downtown Baseball Park, several interested parties felt that due to the historical and cultural significance of WWMS to the City and the Aycock Historic District, the structure would meet eligibility requirements for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Subsequently, the property was successfully nominated and listed by the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. This listing now compels the City of Greensboro to look thoughtfully at WWMS not only as a public facility but also as a significant historic resource. The City of Greensboro has taken an active role in working with the Engineer/ Architect team as well as the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office to review and recommend preservation treatments in order to best maintain the facility as well as its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. WWMS is again being considered for restoration and rehabilitation to become the permanent home for baseball by North Carolina A&T State University. In order to fully accomplish this goal, a comprehensive planning document has been commissioned by the City of Greensboro with the help of funding provided by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office and the US National Park Service. The original goal of this study was to provide an assessment of conditions and to provide preliminary recommendations to rehabilitate WWMS into a modern facility that is also sympathetic to the historically significant role it has played in the community for nearly 90 years." Funding for this project was provided in part through a fiscal year 2013 Historic Preservation Fund grant to Greensboro, North Carolina (project number NC-13-013) administered by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office (grant number P13AF00046) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Greensboro, North Carolina is a Certified Local Government.

Preservation Plan and Conditions Assessment: World War Memorial Stadium, Greensboro, North Carolina

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