Dunn Field (Elmira)

Coordinates: 42°04′49″N 76°46′50″W / 42.080296°N 76.780674°W / 42.080296; -76.780674

Dunn Field
Location	546 Luce Street Elmira, NY 14904
Broke ground	1938
Opened	1939
Renovated	1992
Owner	City of Elmira, NY
Operator	City of Elmira, NY
Surface	Grass
Field dimensions	Left - 325' Left Center - 358' Center - 386' Right Center - 358' Right - 325' Fences are 12' high (20' in LF)
Tenants
Elmira Pioneers (1888–present) Elmira Southside High School Baseball Elmira Southside High School Football Kanaweola Athletic Club (early 1900s)

Dunn Field is a stadium in Elmira, New York primarily used for baseball. Located on the banks of the Chemung River at the end of Luce St, it has been the home of various incarnations of the Elmira Pioneers since its opening in 1939.

History

The first stadium at the site was known as the Maple Avenue Driving Park. On Nov. 21, 1902, the stadium was the site of the first ever professional football night game. The Philadelphia Athletics football team, of the first National Football League, defeated the Kanaweola Athletic Club, 39-0, on Friday November 21, 1902.[1] The stadium also served as an alternate home for baseball's National League Buffalo Bisons in the late 19th century.

The Maple Avenue Driving Park was replaced by Recreation Park, which burned down in 1938. A new stadium built to replace it was named after a local businessman, Edward Joseph Dunn, who donated some land for the stadium to the city.

Besides being the home field of the Elmira Pioneers baseball team, a variety of events have taken place in the stadium over the years such as wrestling & boxing matches, high school sports, and music concerts (The Beach Boys played there in 1984).

Dunn Field served as the home field for both Elmira Free Academy and Southside High School football teams for many years until each team built their own stadiums. The Erie Bell game was often a special occasion at Dunn Field since both Elmira Free Academy and Southside High School played their home games at Dunn Field.

Many great baseball players played their home games on this field during part of their minor league years, including Wade Boggs, Curt Schilling, and Jim Palmer. Former player and MLB manager Don Zimmer was even married on Dunn Field in 1951 (Pictured in Sports Illustrated magazine, and his autobiography).

The Numbers

Dunn Field has a capacity of 4,020 people, including 312 box seats. Its field dimensions are:

• Left - 325'
• Left Center - 358'
• Center - 386'
• Right Center - 358'
• Right - 325'
• Fences are 12' high (20' in LF).

External links

• Dunn Field
• Dunn Field Review by Small-Parks.com
• Photographs of Dunn Field - Rochester Area Ballparks
• Dunn Field Municipal Stadium Views – Ball Parks of the Minor Leagues
• Edward Joseph Dunn -- The History of New York State Biographies, Editor, Dr. James Sullivan