Location

E 33rd Street, between Ellerslie Avenue & Ednor Road (Street View)

GPS: 39° 19′ 45.00″ N 76° 36′ 5.40″ W

History

Built in 2006, this location is also known as Thanksgiving Place Labyrinth, and was a joint project between the Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation and the TKF Foundation, “a private grant-making foundation” involved in a civic development project called “Open Spaces, Sacred Places,” integrating meditative green spaces in the midst of bustling urban locations. The Bell Tower at Stadium Place stands just slightly west of what was once the entrance gates of old Memorial Stadium, the former location also of another significant Baltimore monument, the Memorial Urn, the urn, which contains soil from military cemeteries around the world, was moved to Camden Yards.

Notes

The Bell Tower park at Stadium Place also features a stone labyrinth on the ground, surrounded on one side by a white wooden structure, trees, flowering gardens and benches. Nearby is the state’s largest YMCA and the retirement community called Stadium Place. There is also an all volunteer-built playground behind the YMCA on 33rd and Ellerslie. When a fire burned most of the playground, volunteers assembled once again to re-build it, a testament to the civic spirit of area residents.

Nearby

• Reese Monument
• Martin Luther
• Mother’s Garden

Links

• On Panoramio & Flickr

Location

S Eutaw Street & W Lee Street (Street View)

GPS: 39° 16′ 55.96″ N 76° 37′ 14.29″ W

History

Memorial Stadium was completed in 1950. The outdoor professional sports arena was a renovation of the old Baltimore (or Municipal) Stadium that was built, in 1922, on 33rd Street in Waverly. The north Baltimore site was primarily the home of the city’s football clubs until 1944 when Orioles Park, an all wood framed structure nearby that housed the baseball team, burned to the ground completely, prompting the Orioles to move into the facility up the street. The larger stadium interested Major League Baseball, with it’s capacity for crowds in excess of 20,000, helping Baltimore finally receive a full charter franchise. Six years later the re-construction was complete and the new park was officially opened as the home of the Orioles and the National Football league’s Colts. In 1976, after the conclusion of a Colts-Steelers football game a single engine plane crashed into the upper deck. The pilot was apparently buzzing the stadium, but his approach was too low. No one was hurt in the incident.

The front facade of the stadium was a memorial to the Veterans of both World Wars. Dedicated in 1954, the edifice was nearly saved during the razing of the structure, but was finally taken down in 2002. The resulting materials from the demolition were used to create an artificial reef in the Chesapeake Bay. The military veterans memorial was moved to the southern side of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It consists of an urn on pedestal and a large sloped wall displaying the message once inscribed on the old memorial. The urn contains soil from military cemeteries around the world. The monument was rededicated on March 31, 2003, as part of the Orioles opening day ceremonies.

Notes

The old ballpark’s home in Waverly is now the site of Stadium Place, a complex containing multiple apartment buildings for seniors and the states largest YMCA. A memorial Bell Tower has been erected, along with an Egyptian-style pergola, just slightly west of the stadium’s original front gates.

Nearby

• Johnny Unitas Statue
• Babe Ruth Monument
• William Donald Schaefer Statue
• Thurgood Marshall

Links

• Memorial Stadium on Wikipedia
• On Panoramio & Flickr