Oriole Park fire left mark on Abell
For about three decades, a ballpark in Abell was the center of baseball in Baltimore. Then, on July 4, 1944, the stands, offices, turf and the roof burned down.
- A painted sign advertises an Orioles game against the Buffalo Bisons at Oriole Park, April 7, 1936. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- A diagram from 1921 shows some details about the construction of Oriole Park. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- Empty stands await the start of an Orioles season in March 1939. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- An Orioles player swings at a pitch at the opening game of the 1939 season at Oriole Park in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- An umpire looks on during an Orioles game at Oriole Park in 1939. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- The scoreboard awaits the start of a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto at Oriole Park in Baltimore in 1923. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- Fans watch a game at Oriole Park in Baltimore, Apr. 17, 1934. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- A shirt-sleeve crowd attends an Orioles game on April 7, 1934, at Oriole Park in North Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- A fire destroys Oriole Park on July 4, 1944. The fire followed an 11-4 Orioles loss against Syracuse. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- Fire destroys Oriole Park in Baltimore, July 4, 1944. Firemen could not save the team’s archives or trophies. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- Firemen try to stop the fire that destroyed Oriole Park in Baltimore on July 4, 1944. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- Ticket booths remain, but there was no business for them after an early morning fire burnt venerable Oriole Park to the ground. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- Baltimore residents (and presumably some Orioles fans) look out the wreckage left in the wake of the fire that burned down Oriole Park in Baltimore, July 1944. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- A panorama photo shows the ruins after the fire that destroyed Oriole Park, home of the Baltimore Orioles for over two decades, July 5, 1944. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
- Crews survey what was left of Oriole Park after it was destroyed by a fire on July 4, 1944. (Baltimore Sun Archives)
What would be known as Oriole Park between 1916 and 1944 first belonged to another team: the Baltimore Terrapins. Built at the intersection of 29th Street and Greenmount Avenue for $90,000, the stadium opened in April 1914. Directly across the street was the home of the minor-league Baltimore Orioles, built in 1901.
Exploring Baltimore’s neighborhoods: Abell
After two tough seasons, the Federal League folded, bringing the Terrapins with it. Perhaps sensing an opportunity for new digs, the Orioles forked over $25,000 in 1916, moved in and put their name on the exterior. The park hosted the club as it won seven straight International League pennants between 1919 and 1925 (the O’s were still in the minor league in those days). Then, the team entered a pennant-free stretch that lasted until 1944.
As Baltimore’s time without an International League pennant grew, the wooden building got older. To make the structure last, a two-man groundskeeper team hosed down the stands to ensure any burning cigarette butts were put out. That’s exactly what they did on July 3, 1944, following a tough 11-4 extra-inning Orioles loss.
It wasn’t enough. At around 4 a.m. on the Fourth of July, a fire started near the third base grandstand. Groundskeeper Mike Schofield reportedly referred to the blaze as a “sheet of fire.” When the tarred roof caught flame, firefighters had no chance of saving the ballpark.
The Orioles lost everything: Their trophies, their archives, their photos and, according to a 1994 Sun article their uniforms. When the sun rose the next morning, all that was left of the stands was rubble.
The Orioles, for their part, went back on the road for two weeks until finally moving into Municipal Stadium (later known as Memorial Stadium). As for Oriole Park? The land was cleared, eventually, and it is now home to Barclay Elementary School and a brewery.
This post initially contained a photo of Municipal Stadium at night that was erroneously labeled as Oriole Park in Abell. That photo has been removed. The Sun regrets the error.