Messer Street Grounds

Messer Street Grounds, also known as Messer Park or Messer Field, was a historic baseball stadium in Providence, Rhode Island. From 1878 to 1885, the grounds served as the home of the National League's Providence Grays, and in 1886 they were briefly used by a minor-league team in the Eastern League. The site chosen was the former Josiah Chapin property on the city's west side, because its topography was ideal for building a ballpark. The terrain was nearly flat, slightly elevated above the surrounding streets, and easy to reach by streetcar. Construction began in April 1878 and took exactly one month, so the stadium was finished in time for its opening on May 1.

Covering almost six acres, the stadium had room for large crowds and was enclosed by a twelve-foot fence. A large grandstand holding about 1,200 people dominated the grounds, supplemented by additional rows of seating along the east and west sides of the field. Beneath the main grandstand were locker rooms, washrooms, and a room for the Western Union Telegraph Company, while a separate platform was set up for reporters and invited guests. One notable feature was the short fence in left field, which produced few home runs but inspired some odd scenes, such as a ball sailing over the rooftops of the neighboring buildings. The Providence Grays were also the first professional team to install a backstop behind the catcher, in 1878, to reduce the many injuries caused by foul balls in that area.

After the 1885 season and the brief use by the Eastern League in 1886, the stadium lost its significance. Its capacity was far too large for the small crowds, and by June 1886 the grounds were already empty. In September of that year, rumors of a sale began to circulate, and they were confirmed in February 1887, when the property was transferred to the Franklin Institute for Savings. The exact date the stadium was torn down is unknown, but by the end of 1887 the subdivided lots had already been sold, and houses were built on the site of the former ballpark.