Jump to content

Breese Stevens Field

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Breese Stevens Field
aerial shot of Breese Stevens Field
Aerial shot of Breese Stevens Field in 2019
Map
Interactive map of Breese Stevens Field
Address917 E Mifflin St
Madison, WI 53703-2831
LocationTenney-Lapham
Coordinates43°04′59″N 89°22′23″W / 43.08306°N 89.37306°W / 43.08306; -89.37306
OwnerCity of Madison Parks Division
OperatorBig Top Sports & Entertainment
Capacity5,000 (sporting events)
9,333 (concerts)
Public transitBus interchange Metro Transit
Construction
OpenedMay 5, 1926
Renovated
  • 1930
  • 1934
  • 1939
  • 1945
  • 1947
  • 1982
  • 2014
  • 2018
ArchitectClaude & Starck
Tenants
Madison Blues (WIL/WSL/TSL/IIIL) (1926–1942)
Madison Muskies (MWL) (1982–1983)
Edgewood College Eagles (NCAA) (1990–2019)
Madison 56ers (UPSL) (2005–present)
Madison Radicals (UFA) (2013–present)
Madison East High School (WIAA) (2015–present)
Forward Madison FC (USL1) (2019–present)
Rally Madison FC (USLW) (2026–present)
Website
Venue website
DesignatedAugust 3, 2015[1]
Reference no.15000502

Breese Stevens Field, officially Breese Stevens Municipal Athletic Field, is a multi-purpose stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. Located eight blocks northeast of the Wisconsin State Capitol on the Madison Isthmus, it is the oldest extant masonry grandstand in Wisconsin.[2][3]

The field is named in honor of Breese J. Stevens, a mayor of Madison and later a University of Wisconsin–Madison regent. His widow, Elizabeth Farmer Stevens, enlisted her daughter's brother in law Joseph W. "Bud" Jackson to sell the marshy block her husband acquired decades earlier. Jackson suggested the block should become an athletic field, and be named for Mr. Stevens.[4] The complex was designated as a Madison Landmark in 1995 and was accepted for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places in 2014.

The venue currently seats nearly 5,000, which can be expanded to 9,333 for concerts.

It is home to the USL League One soccer team Forward Madison FC; the USL W League soccer team Rally Madison FC; Madison East High School teams; the Ultimate Frisbee Association team Madison Radicals; and the Madison 56ers amateur soccer team. In its history, the field has also hosted ice skating, boxing, wrestling, Australian rules football, lacrosse, track and field, midget car racing, rodeos, circuses, drum and bugle corps competitions, concerts, and fraternal and religious gatherings.

History

[edit]
CWA marker (1934)

Acquiring the park

[edit]

Addressing the concern that Madison's sports facilities were insufficient, the city council began efforts to establish a new athletic field in 1922.[5] After first trying to obtain the land by donation, a joint committee of the council and the Association of Commerce considered sites such as Olbrich Park and what is today's Georgia O'Keeffe Middle School playground.[6] The council ultimately selected a block of 18 lots fronting East Washington Avenue and bounded by Mifflin, Brearly and Paterson streets. The site also had the advantage of being midway between Madison Central and Madison East high schools. The property was owned by the estate of Breese Stevens.[7] On September 28, 1923, the city council acceded to Mrs. Stevens's terms that the field be named for her late husband instead, and purchased the property for $35,000.[8]

Construction

[edit]

The city of Madison built the brick grandstand in 1925. The original grandstand, designed by the Madison architectural firm of Claude and Starck in the Mediterranean Revival style, was constructed from 1925 to 1926 and dedicated on May 5, 1926. On that day, with nearly 4,000 people present, Wisconsin Governor John J. Blaine threw the first pitch and the Madison Blues lost to the Beloit Fairies 7–5 in a Wisconsin-Illinois League contest.[9]

The stone wall surrounding the perimeter was built in 1934 as a project of the Civil Works Administration using quarry rock from Madison's Hoyt Park. The concrete bleachers were also built in 1934, and the wooden press box was added in 1939. Three heating units were installed in 1945, and two years later the new electric scoreboard was erected.[10]

Lighting the field

[edit]

In 1930 the Madison Blues defeated the California Owls and the Kansas City Monarchs, two teams that toured with their own floodlights.[11] Attendance was impressive enough that a trio of local electrical contractors headed by Otto Harloff formed the Madison Entertainment Corporation and offered to outfit Breese for no upfront cost, but would recoup its outlay with a percentage of the gate receipts. After the city council approved their plan, the group purchased and installed 90 Crouse-Hinds floodlights on ten 90-foot towers for $29,100, making Breese Stevens Field became the first sports facility in the state outfitted with lights. A $4,000 public address system was also installed, as well as a concessions area underneath the grandstand, serving coffee, soft drinks, sandwiches and candy. Preceded by a parade, the new lights' official debut was a Blues baseball game on May 15, 1931.[12]

The ability to hold events at night multiplied the use of the facility. The lights were credited with saving scholastic sports when high schools began collecting one-third of the gate receipts from their night games.[13] The lights also proved a boon to Madison Blues baseball, drawing fans from home and away. The team received 50% of the gate, and their schedule became flexible to host more exhibition games.[14] The first-night boxing match was in September, and the first-night football game was held the next night, between the Chicago Cards and the Harley Mills. While respecting the precedence of free recreational events hosted by the city, the Madison Entertainment Corporation became the promoter of nearly all night events.

The fieldhouse in 2009

Decline

[edit]

By the late 1960s, Breese Stevens Field lost its status as the city's premier athletic complex as modern facilities, such as Mansfield Stadium, began to appear in suburban Madison.

On August 3, 1968, a weekly teen dance held at Breese broke out in racially charged fights, with the violence escalating outside when a black teenager was struck by a car that was then attacked. The "Breese Stevens incident" prompted criticism of Madison police, and led to a city investigation of local race relations.[15]

As Breese further showed its age in the 1970s, proposals were made for the city to use the property for other purposes. In 1972, Madison Mayor Bill Dyke supported placing a long-anticipated civic auditorium there.[16] Three years later, the city removed legal obstacles to making the field part of a planned East Washington Avenue campus for Madison Area Technical College, but support for the site dropped.[17][18] A 1979 estimate for restoring the facility was put at $240,000 (equivalent to $1,064,649 in 2025).[19]

Revival

[edit]

In 1981, the city council voted to allocate $60,000 to demolish the grandstand and shore up the exterior wall and Mifflin Street bleachers, with the city parks department noting they had "letters on file dating back to 1967 that warn of structural problems."[19] A public outcry from residents caused the plan to be scrapped and saved the stadium.[20]

Minor league baseball returned to Breese on April 27, 1982, when the Madison Muskies made their debut there before adopting Warner Park as their home field.[21] In 1983, the city council voted to allocate $230,000 to gradually restore the park by fixing the grandstand roof, sagging walls and broken toilets.[22] Artificial turf replaced the original grass field in 2014.[citation needed]

Breese Stevens Field was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on August 3, 2015.[3]

In 2018, prior to Forward Madison FC’s arrival, the field received upgrades, including new bathrooms, a concession stand, and more seating, upgrading the capacity to an estimated 5,000 people.[citation needed]

Events

[edit]

Upon its inception, Breese Stevens Field became the premier site for Madison's major athletic events outside the University of Wisconsin–Madison. A multi-purpose facility with a cinder track, the field was employed year-round for sports, ranging from marbles tournaments[23] to National Football League games. Currently, it is the home field for USL League One soccer team Forward Madison FC.

Baseball

[edit]

As a baseball stadium, Breese Stevens featured a short 240-foot right field wall.[24] The stadium was the home of the semi-professional Madison Blues from 1926 to 1942. Founded by the Madison Athletic Association and captained by manager Eddie Lenehan,[25] the Blues were first an independent team before joining the Wisconsin-Illinois League in 1926.[26] They won the championship of the newly formed Tri-State League in 1938, defeating the Sheboygan Chairmakers.[27] They joined the Three-I League in 1940.

The field also held special exhibition games with the Blues facing Major League Baseball teams, such as the Chicago Cubs in a 1–1 tie,[28] the Chicago White Sox in a 13–3 loss,[29] and the St. Louis Browns,[30] in addition to games against Negro league teams and traveling clubs like the House of David.[31] In 1947 legendary pitcher Satchel Paige and the Negro leagues' Kansas City Monarchs defeated the Industrial League All-Stars 14–5.[32] Warren Spahn, later the star left-handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Braves, took the Breese mound many times in 1941 as a member of the visiting Evansville Bees. Although he was known as a Wisconsin Badgers football player, Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch belted a grand slam home run in an exhibition baseball game in 1944 World War II fundraising event that raised $22,000 in war bonds, including $3,000 for the autographed bat that Hirsch used.[24] In 1946, the New York Yankees held a three-day tryout camp at Breese.[33]

In the spring of 1932, the Madison city council opened the field's gates to amateur baseball, allowing twenty teams in two leagues to play free games on Sundays.[34] The diamond was also used by the Wisconsin Badgers baseball team and the Madison Industrial League, which formed in 1943.

National league softball games were first played there in 1933, with Madison defeating Beaver Dam, 21–1.[35] Girls' softball games were held as early as 1944.[36]

Football

[edit]

The field hosted one National Football League regular-season game, when the 1929 Chicago Bears moved a game to Madison due to a scheduling conflict with Wrigley Field, a ballpark the Bears shared with the Cubs. Legendary halfback Red Grange helped the Bears defeat the Minneapolis Red Jackets 19–6, before a crowd of 7,500.[37]

Two NFL exhibition games were played at Breese: in 1927, the Milwaukee Badgers were beaten by the Duluth Eskimos, 32–0.[38] In 1931, star fullback Ernie Nevers led his Chicago Cardinals to trounce the Chicago Mills, 25–0.[39]

High school football games were a staple of the field's schedule for many years, with nearly all local high school home games played there. For many years Madison East and Central High Schools made a tradition of facing off on Armistice Day.[40] High school football returned in 2015 when Madison East resumed playing its varsity home games at the field.[41]

Soccer

[edit]
A soccer game on July 12, 2009

The stadium hosted Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association soccer tournaments from 1989 to 2002 and was also the home field for the Madison East and Madison La Follette high school teams. Since 2005, the Madison 56ers of the amateur UPSL have played at the stadium.

Professional soccer came to Breeze Stevens field in 2019 with Forward Madison FC of USL League One.[42] In their inaugural season they had an average home attendance of 4,292, the highest in the league.[43][44]

On August 16, 2025, Forward Madison owners Big Top Events announced the creation of a semi-professional women's team to play in the USL W League in 2026, later named Rally Madison FC.[45]

Other sports

[edit]

Jesse Owens, gold medalist sprinter of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, ran in three exhibition races at the field in 1938 as part of an in-game promotion at a matchup between the Madison Blues and the Fort Wayne Harvesters.[46]

The Madison Stampede rodeo event was held over six days in 1931.[47]

In 1938, midget car races were held before being banned the next year over concerns of noise and damage to the field's track.[48]

Since 2013, the Madison Radicals of the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) have played their home games at the field. The league has held its championship weekend at Breese Stevens Field a league-high four times: in 2016, 2018, 2022, and 2025. The 2018 finals ended with the Radicals winning their first league championship on home turf.[49] The championship will return to the stadium in 2026 as the first consecutive championship host in UFA history.[50]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "National Register of Historic Places 2015 Weekly Lists" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  2. ^ Engle, Jeanne (May 2018). "Breese Stevens Field". MadisonEssentials.com. Madison Essentials. Retrieved April 11, 2020. ...its also the oldest surviving masonry grandstand in Wisconsin.
  3. ^ a b "Breese Stevens Municipal Athletic Field". Wisconsin Historical Society. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  4. ^ The Rise of Breese Stevens Field by David Michael Miller.
  5. ^ "Plan Joint City, School Athletic Field". The Capital Times. August 21, 1922.
  6. ^ "Engineers Draw Map of New Athletic Field". The Capital Times. August 22, 1922.
  7. ^ "Committee To Work For City Athletic Field". The Capital Times. January 13, 1923.
  8. ^ "Council Votes to Buy Municipal Athletic Field". The Capital Times. September 29, 1923.
  9. ^ Lacey, Patricia A. (July 7, 2014). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Stevens, Breese, Municipal Athletic Field". National Park Service. Retrieved January 29, 2025.
  10. ^ "At Last--Breese Stevens to Get New Scoreboard!" Wisconsin State Journal, Aug. 24, 1947.
  11. ^ "Blues Battle Owl Nine in Night Game," Capital Times, July 7, 1930.
  12. ^ Hank Casserly, "Blues, Mills in Night Game Tonight," Capital Times, May 5, 1931.
  13. ^ "Floodlights Offered City for Athletics,: Wisconsin State Journal, Jan. 1, 1931.
  14. ^ "Blues Debt Lifted by Entertainment Group," Capital Times, June 9, 1931.
  15. ^ "Madison Stares At Own Racism". The Capital Times. May 2, 1969.
  16. ^ "Full Review Urged on Auditorium Sites". Wisconsin State Journal. March 2, 1972.
  17. ^ "City Clears Way to Give Breese Field to MATC". The Capital Times. June 4, 1975.
  18. ^ "Support fades for MATC site". Wisconsin State Journal. August 29, 1975.
  19. ^ a b "Breese Stevens stands to come down". The Capital Times. June 5, 1981.
  20. ^ "Breese Stevens Field gets recognized as a national landmark". The Isthmus. December 5, 2014.
  21. ^ "Muskies get 'A' for debut". The Capital Times. May 6, 1982.
  22. ^ "New life for an old ballpark". The Capital Times. March 25, 1982.
  23. ^ "30 Champions of School Mibs To Enter City Finals Saturday". The Capital Times. April 30, 1939.
  24. ^ a b Lucas, Mike (August 10, 2023). "Breese Stevens a site of historic moments and modern revival". The Capital Times.
  25. ^ "Eddie Lenehan Signed to Manage Madison Club". Wisconsin State Journal. April 9, 1924.
  26. ^ "Madison Blues Join Nine-Team Baseball Circuit". Wisconsin State Journal. April 19, 1932.
  27. ^ "Blues Clinch Title in Tri-State With Room to Spare". Wisconsin State Journal. September 6, 1938.
  28. ^ "Blues Hold Cubs to 1 to 1 Tie Through Eight Innings". Wisconsin State Journal. July 12, 1935.
  29. ^ "White Sox Lambast Blues, 13-3". The Capital Times. August 10, 1928.
  30. ^ advertisement, Wisconsin State Journal, June 26, 1936.
  31. ^ advertisement, Wisconsin State Journal, June 16, 1937.
  32. ^ "Monarchs Crush All-Stars, 14-5". Wisconsin State Journal. July 18, 1947.
  33. ^ "Bobby Mattick Will Conduct Yankee Camp". Wisconsin State Journal. August 10, 1946.
  34. ^ Henry McCormick (May 17, 1932). "No Foolin' Now". Wisconsin State Journal. Vol. 140, no. 47. p. 50.
  35. ^ "Madison is 21-1 Victor in Opening Softball Contest". Wisconsin State Journal. May 23, 1933.
  36. ^ Wisconsin State Journal, August 20, 1944.
  37. ^ "Grange Wins and Draws". Decatur Herald. September 23, 1929.
  38. ^ Stevens Point Journal, October 18, 1927.
  39. ^ "Cardinals Swamp Mills, 25 to 0". The Capital Times. September 17, 1931.
  40. ^ "A part of history will die when Breese Stevens falls". Wisconsin State Journal. June 6, 1981.
  41. ^ Masson, Jon. "Prep football: Madison East football returns to historic Breese Stevens Field on Friday night". madison.com. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  42. ^ Milewski, Todd D. "It's official: Madison pro soccer team will join USL Division III league as founding member in 2019". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  43. ^ Li, Caroline (September 24, 2019). "Forward Madison finishes at home with impressive win over league regular season champion". The Badger Herald. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  44. ^ Chappell, Robert (December 27, 2019). "Best of 2019: "There's Nothing Better." Forward Madison Reflects on First Season, Looks Ahead to 2020". Madison365. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  45. ^ "USL W LEAGUE TO LAUNCH IN MADISON IN 2026". forwardmadisonfc.com. Forward Madison FC. August 16, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
  46. ^ Lucas, Mike (August 10, 2023). "Breese Stevens a site of historic moments and modern revival". Capital Times.
  47. ^ "Breese Stevens a site of historic moments and modern revival". The Capital Times. August 10, 2023.
  48. ^ "Council May Shelve Midget Race Request," Wisconsin State Journal, June 18, 1940.
  49. ^ Polzin, Jim. "Madison Radicals open home season Saturday at Breese Stevens Field". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  50. ^ Eisenhood, Charlie; Rubin, Alex (November 5, 2025). "Madison to Host Second-Straight UFA Championship Weekend in 2026". Ultiworld. Retrieved May 6, 2026.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Breese Stevens Field (Madison, Wisconsin).
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Breese_Stevens_Field&oldid=1357174193"