Palmer Stadium was a
stadium
A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
in
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It hosted the
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
Tigers
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
team, as well as the track and field team.
The stadium held 45,750 people at its peak and was opened in 1914 with a game against
Dartmouth. It closed in 1996 with a game against Dartmouth.
Princeton Stadium
Powers Field at Princeton Stadium is a stadium in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. It is primarily used for American football, and has been the home field of the Princeton Tigers since 1998. The stadium seats 27,773. Since 2007, the playing ...
was built on the site (albeit pushed slightly further north) in 1997.
The building was named for Stephen S. Palmer, a trustee of the university, by his son, Edgar Palmer III. Like
Harvard Stadium
Harvard Stadium is a U-shaped college football stadium in the northeast United States, located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The stadium is owned and operated by Harvard University and is home to the Harvard Crimson footb ...
, it was horseshoe-shaped (which was modeled after the Greek Olympic Stadium), but was wider, including a full-sized track (around the football field) . It opened to the south (facing
Lake Carnegie
Lake Carnegie is a reservoir that is formed from a dam on the Millstone River, in the far northeastern corner of Princeton, Mercer County, New Jersey. The Delaware and Raritan Canal and its associated tow path are situated along the eastern shor ...
) and the grand main entrance was at the north.
It hosted the Division I
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship in 1981. From 1936 to its closing, the track's long-jump record was held by
Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games.
Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifet ...
.
Palmer Stadium also hosted the NFL's
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
for one exhibition game per year from 1965 -1975, the first ten years seeing them face the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
and then the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
in 1975.
References
External links
A short Palmer Stadium historyPalmer Stadium from GoPrincetonTigers.com
Henry Janeway Hardenbergh buildings
Defunct college football venues
Princeton Tigers football
Sports venues in New Jersey
American football venues in New Jersey
College lacrosse venues in the United States
College track and field venues in the United States
Lacrosse venues in the United States
NCAA Men's Division I Lacrosse Championship venues
Princeton University buildings
1914 establishments in New Jersey
Sports venues completed in 1914
1997 disestablishments in New Jersey
Sports venues demolished in 1997
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