View source for Loeb Stadium (1940)

{{Short description|Demolished stadium in Indiana, USA}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox venue
| name                   =
| nickname               =
| native_name            =
| native_name_lang       =
| fullname               =
| former names           = Columbian Park Recreational Center (1940–1971){{cn|date=October 2022}}
| logo_image             =
| logo_caption           =
| image                  =
| image_size             =
| image_alt              =
| caption                =
| image_map              = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|zoom=13|type=point}}
| pushpin_map            = USA Indiana#USA
| pushpin_relief         = yes
| address                = Wallace Avenue and Main Street (Columbian Park)
| location               = [[Lafayette, Indiana]]
| coordinates            = {{Coord|40.412597|-86.871568|display=inline,title}}
| elevation              = <!-- {{cvt|...|ft|m}} or {{cvt|...|m|ft}} -->
| type                   =
| genre                  =
| broke_ground           =
| built                  = 1940<ref name="map">{{Cite news |url=https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/2016/06/10/stadium-puts-lafayette-red-sox-baseball-map/85008158/ |title=Stadium puts Lafayette Red Sox on baseball map |first=Bob |last=Kriebel |newspaper=[[Journal & Courier]] |location=[[Lafayette, Indiana]] |date=June 10, 2016 |access-date=September 8, 2021}}</ref>
| opened                 = {{Start date|1940}}{{cn|date=October 2022}}
| renovated              =
| expanded               =
| closed                 =
| demolished             = September 4, 2019<ref>{{cite news |first=Samantha |last=Thieke |title=Residents reflect as Loeb Stadium is torn down |url=https://www.wlfi.com/content/news/Residents-reflect-as-Loeb-Stadium-is-torn-down-559366021.html |access-date=April 29, 2021 |work=[[WLFI-TV|WLFI News]] |date=September 4, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>
| owner                  =
| operator               =
| surface                =
| scoreboard             =
| production             =
| cost                   =
| architect              = Walter Scholer<ref name="map" />
| builder                = H.G. Christman Co.<ref name="map" />
| project_manager        =
| structural engineer    =
| services engineer      =
| general_contractor     =
| main_contractors       =
| seating_type           =
| capacity               = 3,500{{cn|date=October 2022}}
| suites                 =
| record_attendance      =
| dimensions             =
| field_shape            =
| acreage                =
| volume                 =
| tenants                = [[Lafayette Aviators]] ([[Prospect League|PL]]) 2016–2019 <br /> [[Jefferson High School (Indiana)|Jefferson High School]] Bronchos ([[Indiana High School Athletic Association|IHSAA]]) 1941–2019 <br /> [[Ohio Valley Redcoats]] ([[Frontier League|FL]]) 2005 <br /> [[Lafayette Leopards (baseball)|Lafayette Leopards]] ([[Great Central League|GrCL]]) 1994 <br /> [[Lafayette Red Sox]] ([[Midwest League|ML]]) 1956–1957 <br /> [[Lafayette Chiefs]] ([[Mississippi–Ohio Valley League|MOVL]]) 1955
| embedded               =
| website                = {{Official website|https://www.lafayette.in.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Loeb-Stadium-8}}
| publictransit          =
}}
'''Loeb Stadium''' was a [[stadium]] in Columbian Park in [[Lafayette, Indiana]], [[United States]]. It was primarily used for [[baseball]] and had most recently been the home of the [[Lafayette Aviators]] of the [[Prospect League]].
Previously, it was the home of [[Ohio Valley Redcoats]] of the independent [[Frontier League]], and later the Lafayette Leopards of the now defunct [[Great Central League]].
==History==
Opened in 1940 as Columbian Park Recreational Center, Loeb Stadium had a capacity of 3,500 people.{{cn|date=October 2022}} From 1943 until 1945, the stadium hosted [[Spring training]] for [[Major League Baseball]]'s [[Cleveland Indians]] when teams were forced to hold their training closer to their home cities due to restrictions in place as a result of the United States' participation in [[World War II]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Cleveland Indians Spring Training |url=https://www.springtrainingonline.com/teams/cleveland-indians.htm |website=Spring Training Online |publisher=August Publications |accessdate=February 28, 2020 |quote=Lafayette, Ind. (1943–1945)}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Old Lafayette: Spring training in Lafayette |url=https://www.jconline.com/story/news/history/2017/02/03/wartime-travel-restrictions-landed-indians-greater-lafayette-spring-training/97418272/ |accessdate=February 28, 2020 |work=[[Journal & Courier]] |date=February 5, 2017 |location=Lafayette, Indiana |language=en}}</ref> At that time, the stadium was home to a Class A affiliate of the Indians.
It also hosted the minor league [[Lafayette Red Sox]], a founding franchise of the [[Midwest League]] in 1956.{{cn|date=October 2022}} In 1957, the Red Sox moved to Waterloo, Iowa, and later to Lansing, Michigan, where they are known today as the [[Lansing Lugnuts]].
In amateur baseball, it was home to the [[PONY Baseball and Softball|Colt League Baseball World Series]] 48 out of 49 years (1969–1971 and 1973–2017) until the event moved to [[Rent One Park]] in [[Marion, Illinois]] in 2018.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carmin |first1=Mike |title=PONY Baseball pulls Colt World Series out of Lafayette |url=https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/high-school/2017/10/30/pony-baseball-pulls-colt-world-series-out-lafayette/814381001/ |accessdate=February 28, 2020 |newspaper=Journal & Courier |date=October 30, 2017 |location=Lafayette, Indiana |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=All-Time Champions |url=https://www.coltworldseries.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1279378 |website=coltworldseries.org |publisher=Colt World Series |accessdate=February 28, 2020}}</ref> The [[Jefferson High School (Indiana)|Jefferson High School]] Bronchos used the stadium for their home games, competing in games sanctioned by the [[Indiana High School Athletic Association]] (IHSAA).<ref name="Jeff">{{cite news |last1=King |first1=Sam |title=With Loeb Stadium demolition nearing, Lafayette Jeff baseball looks to add final memories |url=https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/2019/04/04/loeb-stadium-demolition-nearing-jeff-looks-add-final-memories/3346639002/ |accessdate=February 28, 2020 |work=Journal & Courier |date=April 4, 2019 |location=Lafayette, Indiana |language=en}}</ref> It hosted the IHSAA baseball state finals four times, lastly in 2005.<ref name="Jeff" /><ref>{{cite web |title=State Finals |url=https://www.ihsaa.org/portals/0/Flip%20Book/2017-18/base/index.html#p=16 |website=ihsaa.org |publisher=Indiana High School Athletic Association |accessdate=February 28, 2020 |pages=16–17 |date=2018 |quote=1970‐71, 1973‐74, 1974‐75, 2004‐05}}</ref>
For the 2016 season, the [[Jamestown Jammers#Later use of the Jamestown Jammers name in baseball|Jamestown Jammers]] moved to Lafayette and began play in the Prospect League as the Aviators.<ref>{{cite news |title=A distinct aeronautical theme for 2016: Aviators, Drones and AirHogs |url=https://ballparkdigest.com/2016/01/18/a-distinct-aeronautical-theme-for-2016-aviators-drones-and-airhogs/ |access-date=April 22, 2021 |work=Ballpark Digest |publisher=August Publications |date=January 18, 2016}}</ref>
==Replacement==
At the conclusion of the 2019 Prospect League season, the stadium was closed and demolished to make way for a new [[Loeb Stadium]] which opened March 31, 2021.<ref name="dedication">{{cite press release |title=American Structurepoint Celebrates Loeb Stadium Dedication |url=https://www.structurepoint.com/company/news/american-structurepoint-celebrates-loeb-stadium-dedication |publisher=American Structurepoint |access-date=September 18, 2023 |language=en |date=April 1, 2021}}</ref> The Aviators were supposed to play the 2020 season at [[Purdue University]]'s [[Alexander Field (Purdue University)|Alexander Field]];<ref>{{cite news |first=Nathan |last=Baird |url=https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/college/purdue/2019/08/06/lafayette-aviators-play-purdues-alexander-field-2020/1938642001/ |title=Lafayette Aviators to play at Purdue's Alexander Field in 2020 |newspaper=Journal & Courier |date=August 6, 2019 |location=Lafayette, Indiana |language=en |access-date=August 7, 2019}}</ref> however, their 2020 season was suspended when Purdue closed their athletic facilities due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Indiana|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite press release |title=Aviators Announce Suspension of 2020 Season |url=https://lafayettebaseball.com/2020/05/18/new-for-2021-johnstown-mill-rats/ |website=Aviators Baseball |publisher=Lafayette Aviators |access-date=April 22, 2021 |date=May 18, 2020}}</ref>
The project, at a cost of $20 million,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bangert |first1=Dave |title=Main Street closes near Columbian Park, will stay that way until Thanksgiving |url=https://www.jconline.com/story/news/2019/10/01/main-street-closing-near-columbian-park-starting-tuesday-through-thanksgiving/3827989002/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |work=[[Journal & Courier]] |location=Lafayette, Indiana |date=October 1, 2019}}</ref> saw the stadium's configuration flipped, placing home plate in what had been center field.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lafayettebaseball.com/fanzone/New-Stadium |title=New Stadium {{!}} Lafayette Aviators Baseball Loeb Stadium Lafayette, Indiana 47904 |website=lafayettebaseball.com |publisher=Lafayette Aviators |access-date=August 7, 2019 |archive-date=June 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613182400/https://www.lafayettebaseball.com/fanzone/New-Stadium}}</ref> The original seating area was removed and made part of Columbian Park surrounding the stadium.<ref name="spark" /> New suites and outdoor group seating areas were added.<ref name="spark" /> The stadium's grass playing surface was replaced with a synthetic turf to allow the facility to host additional types of events, and the seating capacity was decreased from 3,500 to 2,600.<ref name="dedication" /><ref name="spark" /> Additionally, the playing surface was lowered by seven feet, allowing for improved sightlines from all stadium seats.<ref name="spark" /> The project was paid for using economic development income tax (EDIT) rather than property taxes.<ref name="spark">{{cite web |url=https://spark.adobe.com/page/YhmaCxTDNtCXW/ |title=LOEB Stadium |publisher=American Structurepoint |access-date=August 7, 2019}}</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Lafayette, Indiana]]
[[Category:Baseball venues in Indiana]]
[[Category:High school baseball venues in the United States]]
[[Category:1940 establishments in Indiana]]
[[Category:2019 disestablishments in Indiana]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1940]]
[[Category:Sports venues demolished in 2019]]
[[Category:Mississippi-Ohio Valley League]]
[[Category:Defunct Midwest League ballparks]]
[[Category:Defunct baseball venues in the United States]]
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