Wahconah Park
Why it's listed
Wahconah Park is a municipal baseball complex on 18.2 acres beside the West Branch of the Housatonic River in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Its centerpiece is a 2,000-seat grandstand with a corrugated steel shed roof, built on spruce piles and a steel frame. Local architects Joseph McArthur Vance and Bradley & Gass designed it, with structural work by the Hussey company. Construction ran from October 1949 to April 1950, and the first Canadian-American League game was played there on 2 May 1950. The grounds also include 1950 bleachers along both baselines, a gravel parking lot, and two youth baseball diamonds laid out around 1940. The ballfield has stayed on the same northern acreage since George Burbank first laid it out in 1892, though its orientation has changed over time. Night games began with portable lights in 1930 and permanent lighting in 1942. The park was altered in 1978, 1986, 1994 and 1997, but those changes did not compromise its overall integrity. It remains an active sports venue.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the park as a long-running sports facility, with a ballfield on the same northern location since 1892 when George Burbank laid it out. The 1950 grandstand, designed by local architects, is a surviving shed-roof grandstand with wings, and the park has hosted minor league baseball, including Canadian-American League games, and night baseball since the 1940s.
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 05000878, listed August 12, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 143 Wahconah St., Pittsfield |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | August 12, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05000878 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Architect / builder | Joseph McArthur Vance and Bradley & Gass (architects); structural design by Hussey Mnfg. Co. |
| Architectural style | Other: shed-roof grandstand with wings |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a minor league baseball facility; the grandstand was renovated in 1978 and 1997, and the bleachers are described as in superb condition. |
| Acreage | 18.2 |
| Coordinates | 42.46230, -73.25318 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 05000878.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7959747
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.