American League Park, known by historians as American League Park I, was a

baseball park A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into the infield, an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined, and the outfield, where dimensions can vary widely from place to pla ...

that formerly stood in the Trinidad neighborhood of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, at the corner of Florida Avenue and Trinidad Avenue NE on land previously belonging to the Washington Brick Company. It hosted the Washington Senators from the 1901 season through the 1903 season. The ballpark's left-field fence would become Neal Street NE; its third-base line ran along Trinidad Avenue; its first-base line ran along Florida Avenue NE; and its right-field fence ran along present-day Bladensburg Road. On March 20, 1901, the district commissioners granted permission to the American League to establish a baseball park at the location following an application including plans and specifications for the grand stand and the other supporting structures.

Snowden Ashford Snowden Ashford (1866–1927) was an American architect who worked in Washington, D.C., his native city. Born on January 1, 1866, Ashford was educated at Rittenhouse Academy and at the Christian Brothers Roman Catholic school. He studied archit ...

was the building inspector who handled the case. The land had been previously occupied by the Washington Brick Company in an area sparsely built at the time; the closest buildings were located more than from the outlines of the grounds. Therefore, it was considered that it would not cause more menace to the area then if a lumber yard was established there. No specific regulations for the establishment of baseball grounds were in place in the District of Columbia at the time. No opposition from nearby landowners was received, therefore permission was granted. The grandstands were made out of wood as most ballparks of the time. The left-field line ran roughly north–south, with the left field measuring .

Boundary Field Boundary Field, also known as American League Park II and National Park, is a former baseball ground in Washington, D.C. located on the site currently occupied by Howard University Hospital; bounded approximately by Georgia Avenue, 5th Street, W ...

, in Northwest DC, had been the preferred site for the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

Senators, but its usage had been blocked by the

National League The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team s ...

, which still had rights to the site despite no longer having a franchise in Washington. Once peace was reached between the leagues, the Senators moved to that site for the 1904 season, which became known as American League Park II or National Park. The stands from American League Park I were transported to the new location along with the team. By 1907, there was no longer a baseball field on the site.

References

Baseball venues in Washington, D.C. Defunct baseball venues in the United States Defunct Major League Baseball venues Defunct sports venues in Washington, D.C. History of Washington, D.C. Near Northeast (Washington, D.C.) {{WashingtonDC-baseball-venue-stub