Oakes Field – South Charleston WV

City:
South Charleston, WV

Site Type:
Gymnasiums, Education and Health, Parks and Recreation, Athletic Courts and Fields

New Deal Agencies:
Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)

Completed:
1941

Quality of Information:
Good

Marked:
Yes

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

The Works Progress Administration built the Oakes Field in South Charleston in 1939.

The western edge of the stadium shares a common boundary with the former US Naval Ordinance plant. The field has an entrance to residential areas at 4th Avenue on the east center field and to the south through a stone wall with a gatehouse. Along the southeastern border is the Oakes Field House (1939 PWA).

The stadium surrounds a football field with a track and has a drive-in entrance from 4th Avenue. To the south, a gate with long concrete ramp provides a walking entrance through the 12 foot, rough stone wall that surrounds much of the stadium at 3rd Avenue (with gatehouse), and the alley between 4th and 5th Avenues on the northern end of the field. The stands are concrete with bleachers to the west bounding the former ordnance plant (now industrial park utilizing the original buildings). The concession and restrooms are in a stone building on the northwestern portion of the property.

Source notes

Kanawha County Schools, “1966 Building Program Summary: Secondary and Special Facilities,” Charleston, West Virginia: Kanawha County Schools, 1966 p. 85.

Multiple Site Visits (2015-2018) by Ernest Everett Blevins

"Oakes Honored By Committee," Charleston Gazette April 23, 1939, p .13

WV Historic Property Inventory Form Oakes Field Site No. KA-3713 (https://services.wvgis.wvu.edu/SHPOdocs/PDFs/ArchitecturalSites/KA-3713.pdf), accessed March  16, 2018. (Dated 1992 South Charleston Historic Landmarks Commission and updated by Ernest Everett Blevins March 2018.)

 

Site originally submitted by Ernest Everett Blevins on March 23, 2018.

Location Info


West End 4th Avenue and F Street
South Charleston, West Virginia 25303
Kanawha County

Location notes: West end of 4th Avenue in South Charleston adjacent to the former US Naval Ordinance plant (now industrial area) with access along 3rd Avenue to the field through a gate next to the Oakes Field House.

Coordinates: 38.364387281783124, -81.69815410321041

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One comment on “Oakes Field – South Charleston WV

  1. Robert Uhler

    Originally Oaks field was a swamp filled in by the community by wheelbarrows. This was told to me by Charlie a barber at Frys barber shop on D street. Later in the 1950’s lights were added to the field. I read that in a book called the history of South Charleston.

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One comment on “Oakes Field – South Charleston WV

  1. Robert Uhler

    Originally Oaks field was a swamp filled in by the community by wheelbarrows. This was told to me by Charlie a barber at Frys barber shop on D street. Later in the 1950’s lights were added to the field. I read that in a book called the history of South Charleston.

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

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