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| Harvard Stadium | |||||||
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| Harvard Stadium,
designed by Charles McKim and George Bruno de Gersdorff, was erected in
1902-03, across the Charles River on Soldiers Field Road in Boston’s
Brighton neighborhood. The stadium's appearance was meant to evoke the ideal of
classical amphitheaters and Stadia and was modeled after a similar structure in Athens, Greece.
Harvard Stadium was the first permanent and the largest reinforced concrete structure of its time. It was the first stadium built for U.S. college athletics. Originally, the facility had a seating capacity of 22,000 which was increased by wooden, and later, steel bleachers. The capacity is now roughly 30,000 spectators. The first football game played on the field was on November 14, 1903 against Dartmouth College (Dartmouth won 11-0), and it has been the site of Harvard football’s hometown games ever since. The “Stadium” was used not only for football but for other sports and even theatrical events. In addition, generations of Harvard grads have paraded around the field during alumni and commencement exercises. As early as 1906 the Harvard Classics department productions of classical Greek drama were performed there and this tradition has continued through the decades. Harvard Stadium was refurbished in 1982. | |||||||
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