Dexter Park
From SABR Encyclopedia
| Dexter Park | |
| Location: | New York (Queens), NY (US) |
|---|---|
Dexter Park was the home of the Brooklyn Bushwicks.
In the spring of 1913 Max Rosner founded his second semi-pro team the Brooklyn Bushwicks. Playing their games at the Wallace Grounds on Sunday mornings. Rosner's baseball operations were prosperous. Then on September 19, 1917 the grandstand at Wallace Grounds was destroyed by fire. Max made arrangements with the owners (Ulmer Brewery) of Dexter Park to play their games on Sunday afternoon starting in April 1918.
The effect of Prohibition in the 1920's effected the Ulmer Brewery forceing them to divest their ownership of Dexter Park. On September 30, 1922 Rosner and his partner Nate Strong purchased Dexter Park for $200,000. They paid $75,000 in cash an gave the brewery a purchase-mortgage for $125,000.
Dexter Park consisted of the baseball grounds and 10 acres of land that included a hotel, dance hall, carousel, bowling alleys and shooting gallery. It was located in the Woodhaven section of Queens County on the north side of Jamaica Avenue just across the border from Brooklyn.
Rosner and Strong wanted to modernize the baseball grounds but lacked the capital. They were able to attract two investors, Lewis Whitelaw a jeweler with an investment of $37,000 and Mr. Flounlacker a member of the real estate firm of Stone and Flounlacher who invested $7,500.
The old wooden stands were torn down and a 6,000 seat steel beam grandstand was erected with 650 box seats on each side of the grandstand wooden bleachers were built with a seating capacity of 1,800-2000. Admission was .50 for the grandstand and .25 for the bleachers the box seats were $1. All children were half price. In 1924 2,000 more bleacher seats were added along the left field foul line and in deep left field which was 418 feet from home plate. A low fence ran from the left field bleachers along the hill in centerfield and on over to right center. From home plate to center it was 431 feet and 443 feet to right center. Behind the centerfield fence several rows of wooden benches were built. This added another 1,500 seats for a total seating capacity of about 12,000.
