Edwards, George C., Stadium
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Why it's listed
Edwards Stadium is a track and field arena at the southwest corner of the University of California, Berkeley campus, completed in 1932 to designs by architect Warren C. Perry with Stafford L. Jory. Two large reinforced-concrete bleachers face each other across a central field and oval track, seating over 22,000 people. Cast-in-place Moderne ornament, including fluted pilasters, obelisk clusters and a continuous horizontal band, wraps the exterior. Concrete walls, a fence, three ticket booths, flagpoles, a scoreboard frame and a memorial bench to coach Walter Christie also contribute to the site. It was built exclusively for track and field, which was unusual among American university stadiums, and was the largest and costliest of its kind when finished. Olympic medalists competed there, and world records were set there, including Cornelius Warmerdam's first 15-foot pole vault in 1940. The track and a tennis center are later additions, but the stadium retains strong integrity.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it was the largest, most expensive and most ambitious stadium built exclusively for track and field in the United States in its day. It is a sophisticated example of Moderne design by two distinguished architects associated with the university's architecture department. It is also tied to the university's track and field program, including Olympic medalists and many world records set there.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 93000263, listed April 1, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of Bancroft Way and Fulton St., UC Berkeley campus, Berkeley |
|---|---|
| County | Alameda County |
| Listed | April 1, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000263 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1932-1943 |
| Architect / builder | Perry, Warren Charles; Jory, Stafford |
| Architectural style | Moderne |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a sports facility. The track has been replaced and a tennis center was added at the north end, but the stadium retains a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 8 |
| Coordinates | 37.86919, -122.26480 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 93000263.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5346131
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.