J. P. Small Memorial Stadium facts for kids
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Jacksonville's First Municipal Baseball Stadium
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| Former names | Barrs Field (1912–1926) Joseph E. Durkee Athletic Field (1926–1985) Myrtle Avenue Ball Park (local name) |
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| Location | 1701 Myrtle Avenue Jacksonville, Florida, United States |
| Coordinates | 30°20′47″N 81°40′30″W / 30.34639°N 81.67500°W |
| Owner | City of Jacksonville |
| Operator | City of Jacksonville |
| Field size | Left Field: 337 ft Center Field: 375 ft Right Field: 285 ft |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1912 |
| Renovated | 1936, 1985, 2006 |
| Demolished | 1936 (Fire); immediately rebuilt |
| Construction cost | US$ |
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| Negro leagues: Jacksonville Red Caps (NAL) (1938,1941-42) Minor leagues: Jacksonville Braves (SAL) (1953) Jacksonville Jets (SAL) (1961) Jacksonville Tars (SEL) (1926–1930) Jacksonville Scouts/Indians (FSL) (1921–1922) Major League Spring Training: Brooklyn Dodgers (NL) (1919–1920, 1922) New York Yankees (AL) (1919–1920) Pittsburgh Pirates (NL) (1918) Philadelphia Athletics (AL) (1914–1918) |
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Joseph H. Durkee Athletic Field
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 Location in Florida
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| Location | Jacksonville, Florida |
| NRHP reference No. | 13000484 |
| Added to NRHP | July 11, 2013 |
J. P. Small Memorial Stadium is a historic baseball park in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located in the Durkeeville area of northwest Jacksonville. The stadium was first built in 1912 and then rebuilt in 1936. It was the city's very first public sports field. For many years, it was the main baseball park in Jacksonville. This was true until Wolfson Park was built in 1954. Over time, the stadium has been known by different names. These names include Barrs Field, Durkee Field, and the Myrtle Avenue Ball Park.
Contents
A Look Back: The Stadium's History
Barrs Field: Early Days of Baseball
The land for the stadium was owned by Joseph H. Durkee. He was a businessman and politician who lived in Jacksonville. In 1911, Durkee's son, Jay Durkee, gave control of the land to Amander Barrs. Barrs was a local businessman and led the Jacksonville Baseball Association. He decided to build a sports field there for local teams.
The field was finished in 1912 and was called Barrs Field. However, many local people just called it the Myrtle Avenue Ball Park. An early team that played there was the Jacksonville Athletics. This was an African-American team, and famous writer James Weldon Johnson played for them. The Jacksonville Scouts also played there in 1921. They were a professional team in the Florida State League.
Major League Spring Training
Many big Major League Baseball teams used Barrs Field for their spring training. This is where teams practice before the regular season starts. The Philadelphia Athletics were the first major league team to train there. They used the field from 1914 to 1918. In 1918, the Pittsburgh Pirates also held their spring training at the park.
From 1919 to 1920, both the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers trained at Barrs Field. The Dodgers came back for one more spring training in 1922.
Durkee Field: A New Era
After 1922, many professional teams stopped coming to Jacksonville. This was because the city did not have a dedicated city-owned park. In 1926, the city government decided to buy Barrs Field from Durkee. They hoped this would bring professional baseball back. On March 13, 1926, the city bought the park and renamed it Durkee Field. Soon after, the city brought a team from the Southeastern League to play there. This team became the first version of the Jacksonville Tars.
In 1932, the city officially bought Durkee Field. A fire destroyed the original stadium in 1936. But the city quickly rebuilt it in 1936–1937. The new stadium was bigger. It also had a special section for African-American fans. This was due to the rules of segregation at that time. From 1938 to 1942, Jacksonville's only Negro league team, the Jacksonville Red Caps, played their home games here.
A Historic Game That Didn't Happen
In 1946, the Jersey City Giants held their spring training at Durkee Field. They were supposed to play against the Montreal Royals. The Royals team included Jackie Robinson and John Wright. These players were helping to break down racial barriers in baseball.
The game was planned for March 24, 1946. However, the Jacksonville Playground and Recreation Board had rules against Black and white athletes playing together. They said they would not let Robinson and Wright play at the park. The Royals, with support from the Dodgers, refused to leave Robinson and Wright out. So, they canceled the game.
Integrating Baseball in Jacksonville
In 1953, a Jacksonville businessman named Samuel W. Wolfson bought the Jacksonville Tars team. He changed the team's name to the Jacksonville Braves. This team became connected to the Milwaukee Braves Major League Baseball team. Wolfson made a big change by allowing players of all races to play together.
Three Black players from the Braves team – Hank Aaron, Félix Mantilla, and Horace Garner – came to Jacksonville. This made the Braves one of the first integrated teams in the South Atlantic League. It was also one of the first in Florida. The next year, the city started building Wolfson Park. The Braves moved there once it was finished.
The Stadium Today
After Wolfson Park was built, Durkee Field was still used. Local high schools and colleges, like Edward Waters College and Raines High School, played there. By the late 1970s, the stadium was in bad shape. People wanted to tear it down. But local supporters worked to save it.
In 1980, Jacksonville City Council member Sallye B. Mathis helped pass a law to fix up the park. They also renamed it for J. P. Small. He was a beloved teacher, band director, coach, and athletic director at Stanton High School from 1934 to 1969. The renovations included fixing the building, adding a new roof, press box, and dugouts. They also paved the parking lot and added new lights.
After Wolfson Park was torn down in 2002, J. P. Small Ballpark became the last historic baseball park in Jacksonville. In 2003, the city government worked to give the park a permanent historical marker. More renovations in 2006 added a small museum. In July 2013, the park was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was listed under its old name, Joseph E. Durkee Athletic Field.
Today, the baseball field is located near 8th Street West (north, left field), Wilcox Street (east, right field), 7th Street West (south, first base), and Myrtle Avenue North (west, third base).
