Lamar Porter Athletic Field facts for kids
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Lamar Porter Athletic Field
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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The entrance to Lamar Porter Field
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 Location in Arkansas
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. of Johnson and 7th Sts., Little Rock, Arkansas |
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| Built | 1934–1936 |
| Architect | Works Progress Administration |
| Part of | Stifft Station Historic District (ID06000941) |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001827 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | December 6, 1990 |
| Designated CP | October 18, 2006 |
Lamar Porter Athletic Field is a historic baseball field in Little Rock, Arkansas. You can find it at West 7th and Johnson Streets, in the Stifft Station neighborhood. This field was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a government program during the Great Depression. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 6, 1990. A famous baseball player, Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, even started his career playing at Porter Field!
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Why the Field Was Built
The idea for Lamar Porter Athletic Field came from a big need for places where kids could play sports in Little Rock. A well-known city planner named John Nolen noticed that Little Rock didn't have enough sports fields. He thought it was important for boys aged 10 to 16, and even older teens, to have organized games and activities.
Nolen believed that while schools had playgrounds for younger kids, there was a clear need for bigger fields. These fields would allow for more serious team sports. The creation of this baseball field was a very important step for the Little Rock Boys' Club in its early days.
Building the Field
Work on the field started in the fall of 1934. It was a big project that employed many people through the federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA was a program that helped put people to work during the Great Depression. It took about 18 months to complete the entire sports complex.
Besides the main baseball field, the area also included other fun places. There were tennis courts, playgrounds, and other spots for recreation. The whole site was about 10 acres (around 40,000 square meters). At the time, this area was considered "west" Little Rock and was perfect for a new park and playing field.
Who Was Lamar Porter?
The field is named after Lamar Porter, who was born on August 17, 1913. He grew up in Little Rock and went to public schools there, including Little Rock High School. Later, he graduated from Sewanee Military Academy in Tennessee in 1931.
Lamar was a student at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. Sadly, he died in a car accident on May 12, 1934. He was only 20 years old.
A Special Memorial
Lamar Porter's family wanted to honor his life. So, they decided to donate the land and money needed to build the baseball field. His mother, his aunt Mrs. J.D. Jordan, and his brother Jim S. Porter made this donation. It happened on the first anniversary of Lamar's death, which was also Mother's Day. This generous gift made it possible to create the sports complex that would carry Lamar's name.
What the Field Included
When the Lamar Porter Athletic Field complex was finished, it was very impressive. It had a lighted softball diamond with special underground wiring. There were also four lighted tennis courts. The main baseball diamond was regulation size.
For fans, there was a large grandstand with 1,500 seats. The complex also had club rooms, showers, locker rooms, restrooms, and a concession stand where you could buy snacks.
Beyond the main sports fields, there were many other areas for fun:
- An apparatus area with swings, slides, and jungle gyms.
- A small children's play area with hammocks and small slides.
- A play area for older children with space for handcrafts and quiet games.
- Courts for shuffleboard, marbles, horseshoes, handball, volleyball, and table tennis.
- Picnic areas for families to enjoy.
- Even a stage for plays and performances!
How the Field Was Used
Lamar Porter Athletic Field officially opened to the public in 1937. It quickly became a popular spot for many different baseball teams. It hosted Pewee League, Midget League, Little League, Pony League, American Legion, and even semi-pro baseball teams.
The Boys' Club teams were the first to use the field in the summer of 1936. By 1937, City Leagues and American Legion teams also started playing there. For a long time, the Little Rock Doughboys were the only Legion team in town. But by 1954, an eight-team Legion league was playing at the field.
The field has even been featured in a movie! The baseball scenes in the 1984 film A Soldier's Story were filmed right there at Lamar Porter Athletic Field.
