Most Endangered Buildings
3. Cooper Stadium (1932)
1155 Mound Street, Columbus Ohio
…construction began in 1932, first named Red Bird Stadium
Owner: SPARC Holding LLC
Construction began on Cooper Stadium in 1932 (first named Red Bird Stadium) and since completion it has hosted several baseball teams, including the Columbus Red Birds, the Negro League Columbus Blue Birds, the Columbus Jets and finally, the Columbus Clippers. It has also hosted enumerable important musicians and other guests, including Franklin D. Roosevelt who kicked off his first presidential campaign in Cooper Stadium in 1932. The last game was played in Cooper Stadium on September 1, 2008, as the Clippers officially moved their team to Huntington Park in the Arena District. A proposal to convert the stadium into an auto racing facility appears to be on hold. In the interim, the remaining structure and site continues to deteriorate.
Special Thanks:
GoPro Video – John Hand & Eli Womack
Photography – Jason Robinson & Ohio Exploration Society
Photography – David Stinson, Deadballbaseball.com
Photography – Richard W. Burry
Visit Deadballbaseball.com for more photos of Cooper Stadium in its heyday and visit Ohio Exploration Society for photos of the park shortly after it closed.
GALLERY
