Olympic Stadium (Hoquiam)
Encyclopedia
Olympic Stadium is a stadium
in Hoquiam, Washington
which opened in 1938. The City of Hoquiam first got the idea for an all-wood stadium in the early 1930s when it applied for a Civil Works Administration grant. In 1932, the grant was approved. Construction began in early 1938 with the stadium officially opening to the public on Nov. 24, 1938. A renovation grant was awarded through the "Save America's Treasures
" program requested by Congressional Representative Norm Dicks in 2005. Dicks also backed the State Historic Preservation Office request to add the stadium to the National Register of Historic Places
which was granted in 2006.
The physical structure of Olympic Stadium is an old growth fir
heavy-timber frame with cedar
shingle siding. Built in a truncated U-shape with angled corners, the open portion of the 2½ story grandstand faces east. This orientation was used so that fans and players would be somewhat sheltered from the wind and rain coming off the Pacific Ocean.
The all wooden park appears to be one of the more unusual in the country, with the shingled exterior, the completely covered 'L' shaped grandstand extending all the way down the line in right and extending into the outfield. The seats are wooden grandstands, which overlook the fields which are in excellent shape.
It last hosted professional baseball in the late 1990s when the Grays Harbor Gulls
of the independent Western Baseball League
called this park home and is now the home of the Grays Harbor Bearcats, a semi-pro
football team. With an overflow capacity of 10,000, the stadium hosts baseball and football fields and receives plenty of use from teams such as the Bearcats football team, Hoquiam High School football team, Hoquiam Youth Baseball and Youth Football, the Comcast Outdoor Cinema, the Push Rods event, the Bluegrass festival and Loggers Playday events yearly.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Hoquiam, Washington
Hoquiam, Washington
Hoquiam is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington state, United States. The town borders the city of Aberdeen at Myrtle Street with Hoquiam to the west. The two cities share a common economic history in lumbering and exporting but Hoquiam has maintained its independent identity...
which opened in 1938. The City of Hoquiam first got the idea for an all-wood stadium in the early 1930s when it applied for a Civil Works Administration grant. In 1932, the grant was approved. Construction began in early 1938 with the stadium officially opening to the public on Nov. 24, 1938. A renovation grant was awarded through the "Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures
Save America's Treasures is a United States Federal initiative to preserve and protect American historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public-private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust for Historic Preservation...
" program requested by Congressional Representative Norm Dicks in 2005. Dicks also backed the State Historic Preservation Office request to add the stadium to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
which was granted in 2006.
The physical structure of Olympic Stadium is an old growth fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
heavy-timber frame with cedar
Cedar wood
Cedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...
shingle siding. Built in a truncated U-shape with angled corners, the open portion of the 2½ story grandstand faces east. This orientation was used so that fans and players would be somewhat sheltered from the wind and rain coming off the Pacific Ocean.
The all wooden park appears to be one of the more unusual in the country, with the shingled exterior, the completely covered 'L' shaped grandstand extending all the way down the line in right and extending into the outfield. The seats are wooden grandstands, which overlook the fields which are in excellent shape.
It last hosted professional baseball in the late 1990s when the Grays Harbor Gulls
Grays Harbor Gulls
The Grays Harbor Gulls were a minor league baseball team located in Hoquiam, Washington. The team played in the independent Western Baseball League, and was not affiliated with any Major League Baseball team. Their home stadium was Olympic Stadium. A few of the players that signed were two...
of the independent Western Baseball League
Western Baseball League
The Western Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in the Western United States and Western Canada. It's member teams were not associated with any Major League Baseball teams. It operated from 1995 to 2002....
called this park home and is now the home of the Grays Harbor Bearcats, a semi-pro
Semi-professional
A semi-professional athlete is one who is paid to play and thus is not an amateur, but for whom sport is not a full-time occupation, generally because the level of pay is too low to make a reasonable living based solely upon that source, thus making the athlete not a full professional...
football team. With an overflow capacity of 10,000, the stadium hosts baseball and football fields and receives plenty of use from teams such as the Bearcats football team, Hoquiam High School football team, Hoquiam Youth Baseball and Youth Football, the Comcast Outdoor Cinema, the Push Rods event, the Bluegrass festival and Loggers Playday events yearly.