Lawrence-Dumont Stadium
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is a historic baseball stadium in Wichita, Kansas. It was built in 1934 and has been a part of the community ever since. The stadium is named after two local baseball fans, Hap Dumont and Bill Lawrence. Over the years, it has been the site of a lot of baseball games, concerts, and other events. Even though Lawrence-Dumont Stadium has had its share of problems, such as damage from natural disasters and a lack of money for needed repairs, it is still an important symbol of Wichita’s love of baseball and community spirit.
The City of Wichita and the National Youth Administration worked together to build the stadium. The National Youth Administration was a federal agency that hired young Americans during the Great Depression. The architects B.G. McPherson and James W. Ross built the stadium. They were inspired by the popular Art Deco style of the time. The stadium is known for its unique spire, which rises 120 feet above the field and has a neon ball on top.
Over the years, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium has been the site of many baseball games, both by minor league teams and by Major League Baseball players in exhibition games. There have also been concerts, high school graduations, and other community events held at the stadium. In 1965, the stadium got a big makeover. New seats, concession stands, and other amenities were added. Wichita voters approved a bond issue to pay for the renovation. This shows how much the community loves the stadium and how important it is to the city’s identity.
Even though Lawrence-Dumont Stadium has a long and interesting history, it has had its share of problems over the years. In 2011, a tornado that hit Wichita did a lot of damage to the stadium. The roof collapsed, and the playing field was damaged. The damage was fixed and the stadium reopened in time for the 2012 baseball season, but it showed that the infrastructure of the stadium needed a lot of work.
Minor league baseball was also changing, which made it hard for Lawrence-Dumont Stadium to keep up. In the past few years, many minor league teams have moved to newer, more modern stadiums that offer fans and players more amenities. Because of this, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium has had a hard time getting new teams and staying a top minor league ballpark. In 2018, the Wichita Wingnuts, the city’s minor league baseball team, said they would be leaving Lawrence-Dumont Stadium and moving to a new ballpark in Wichita.
Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is still an important part of Wichita’s history and identity, even with these problems. The stadium is on the National Register of Historic Places, and Wichitans who grew up going to games and other events there love it. In the past few years, there have been efforts to fix up and update the stadium so that it can be used for years to come.
In the past few years, one of the most exciting things to happen was the building of a new baseball stadium in downtown Wichita. The Wichita Wind Surge, a minor league baseball team that replaced the Wingnuts and moved into the new stadium when it opened in 2020. Fans love the new stadium, which is in the middle of town and has high-tech features. It has also helped to improve the area around it.
Even though the new stadium is now open, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is still a big part of Wichita’s baseball history. The stadium is still used for community events and is a popular place for locals to watch pick-up games or take a walk around the historic grounds. In 2019, the City of Wichita said that it had found money to fix up Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. They plan to add new seats, concession stands, and other amenities. The renovation will make sure that Lawrence-Dumont Stadium stays an important part of Wichita’s community for many years to come.