White Lot south of the White House
| Location | Washington, DC, United States |
|---|---|
| Modern Address | President's Park |
| Tags | |
| Description | Aka Potomac Grounds, because this was the home grounds of the Potomac Club. Cf the Washington Evening Star, Sept. 12, 1860. One veteran playing there during the war (Cornelius Savage, who worked in DC) later recalled Pres. Lincoln watching the ball games played there, See the Rock Island Argus and other newspapers, Feb. 11, 1922. Clubs evidently were being phased out from playing there by 1869. See National Chronicle, May 8, 1869. |
| Sources | |
| Comment | In 1791, the first plan for the park was drawn up by Pierre (Peter) Charles L'Enfant. The Ellipse was known as "the White Lot" due to the whitewashed wooden fence that enclosed the park. During the American Civil War, the grounds of the Ellipse and the incomplete Washington Monument were used as corrals for horses, mules, and cattle, and as camp sites for Union troops. In 1860, the Ellipse was the regular playing field for the DC baseball team the Washington Senators and was the site of the first game between the Senators and the Washington Nationals. In 1865, the Nationals hosted a baseball tournament with the Philadelphia Athletics, for which viewing stands were built and admission was charged. Black baseball teams such as the Washington Mutuals and the Washington Alerts often used the White Lot until Blacks were banned from using the Ellipse in 1874. Wikipedia, accessed 07/13/2022 (Entered by Gene Draschner) Edit with form to add a comment |
| Query | Edit with form to add a query |
| Found by | Bruce Allardice |
| Submission Note | |
| Entered by | Bruce Allardice |
Clubs
| Club | Years | Edit Association with Field |
|---|---|---|
| Alert Club of Washington | Prior to 1874 when they were banned from the field. | |
| Mutual Club of Washington | Prior to 1874 when they were banned from the field. | |
| National Club of Washington | 1861 | |
| Potomac Club of Washington | 1860 |
Games
No games have been posted yet
Comments
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