Elysian Fields

[Brad Harris]

Looking for information, particularly pictures/photos of Elysian Fields to get a "Then vs. Now" visual of the field/park. I'm particularly curious what the surrounding blocks looked like in the 1840's/1850's versus today. What would be fabulous would be a picture of the area today with some kind of 1846 map superimposed on it. Does anyone know of anything like this?

[DGDGBD]

I've heard that the site was developed with a Maxwell House coffee plant in the 1930s. The Maxwell site is currently being redeveloped to create condos and offices. Its hard to say for sure the exact location of the old basefield(s?) because Elysian fields was very large and covered a huge area along the Hudson River waterfront. A small area of parkland remains in Hoboken from the original elysian fields.

[DGDGBD]

This shows whats going on there recently. The construction site was the old Maxwell House plant. The park area at the right end is a remnant of Elysian fields, which stretched along the water front east of Hudson Street. This photo is oriented to show a view looking towards the east. The Hudson River is the water at the top of the photo.

[Brad Harris]

So pretty much everything in that picture was the original "field"?

Is there any way to determine where the actual playing field was located? I think I've read there's a plaque or monument somewhere around there?

[DGDGBD]

There's a plaque next to the site:

"The Maxwell House Coffee Plant stretched along Hoboken's waterfront from Tenth to Twelfth Streets. It was a marvel of its time, the largest coffee processing plant in the world, and a local landmark. Before the plant was built in 1938-39, part of the site included key Hoboken landmarks. Among these were Turtle Cove and The Colonnade Pavilion, marking the entrance to Elysian Fields, a vast park and popular attraction. The first New York Yacht Club clubhouse was built here. The site is also regarded as the birthplace of modern baseball."

There's also a plaque at 11th Street and Washington Street a block to the west that says:

"On June 19, 1846 the first match game of baseball was played on the Elysian Fields between the Knickerbockers and the New Yorks. It is generally conceeded that until this time the game was not seriouslty regarded."

Not that I'm an expert or anything, but I don't think anyone knows exactly where the ballfield was. I think the consensus is that it was probably close to the old maxwell plant location because that's near where the main entrance to the park was located.

[idontknowthirdbase!]

also, the intersection of 11th and washington has the look of a baseball diamond when viewed from above.

[flasah]

[DGDGBD]

That marker at Washington and 11th might very well be the location. I found this 1879 map that shows Elysian Fields. If 11th St was the main entrance to the park, the current location of Washington and 11th would have been just inside and in the central area of Elysian Fields.

[Pelt]

Awesome job on the map comparisons!

[Brad Harris]

Yes. Incredible! Thanks so much guys!