Hinchcliffe Stadium

2020 aerial photo shows Hinchliffe Stadium with the Great Falls in the foreground

On May 19, 2010, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Hinchliffe Stadium to its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. 

Hinchliffe Stadium is a 10,000-seat stadium located in Paterson, New Jersey. The stadium is located atop the Great Falls of the Passaic River, and is part of the surrounding National Historical Park. The stadium, built in 1932, was closed in 1996 after years of neglect. 

The stadium was designed as an Art Deco stadium with distinctive Spanish tile trim and OLympian decoration as an oval with near-continuous seating laid out like a classical amphitheater. Building the stadium was pushed through by its namesake Mayor John Hinchliffe, who made his fortune from Hinchliffe Brewing before it closed due to Prohibition. 

After 26 years, Hinchliffe Stadium opened its gates again on May 17, 2023, and on May 20th, the stadium hosted the first professional sporting event in a National Park. The stadium's primary user is the Paterson Board of Education, where it serves as a multipurpose facility for the city’s two high schools, Eastside High School and Kennedy High School. As of 2023, it also serves as the home stadium for the New Jersey Jackals of the independent Frontier League in Minor League Baseball. The Jackals spent their previous 25 seasons playing at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls, New Jersey.

Hinchliffe Stadium had been the home of the New York Black Yankees of the Negro League from 1933-38 and is one of only four stadiums still standing that hosted Negro League baseball games.

Players who hit the field there include Monte Irvin, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, and "Cool Papa" Bell, among many others. Hall-of-Famer Larry Doby, the legendary player who broke the American League color barrier in 1947, grew up in Paterson playing football and baseball in Hinchliffe Stadium for Paterson's Eastside High School and was scouted from Hinchliffe for the Newark Eagles in 1942.

Hinchliffe became an important venue for boxing (Diamond Gloves, precursor to the Golden Gloves), auto racing (precursor to NASCAR featuring stock car racing, pre-Indianapolis racing, and midget car racing events), and professional football.

Victory Bond rallies held at the stadium during World War II drew sports stars and New York and Hollywood celebrities by the dozens. Among the many notable events headlined at Hinchliffe were shows performed by Abbott and Costello. Lou Costello was born and raised in Paterson's Eastside section.

In addition to the stadium revival, the project includes senior housing, a parking deck, a food court and a museum dedicated to the Negro Leagues and the civil rights struggle. 

northjersey.com/story/news/paterson-press/2023/05/19/paterson-nj-hinchliffe-stadium