Walker Park | |
 | |
| Location | Livingston, Staten Island, New York, USA |
|---|---|
| Owner | New York City |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1886 |
| Opened | 1931 |
| Tenants | |
| Staten Island Cricket Club (NYMDAL) (1886–present) | |
The Staten Island Cricket Club (SICC) is a cricket club on Staten Island, New York, United States, that was incorporated as the Staten Island Cricket and Base Ball Club on March 22, 1872. [1] It became the first tennis venue in the United States. [2]
The club originally played at St. George on the "Flats" or old Camp Washington Terminal from 1866 to 1886. [3] While not the oldest cricket club in the United States, it does claim to be the oldest cricket club in continuous use since its founding in that country. [1] Mary Outerbridge brought tennis to the club in 1874. [4] The first national tennis tournament in America was held at the club on September 1, 1880. [4] 'The waterfront land was known by its Civil War use as Camp Washington. It was here that Mary Ewing Outerbridge, resident of the historic area, introduced lawn tennis in the spring of 1874. Her brother Emilius helped her to set up a net and mark out a tennis court on the grounds of Camp Washington used by the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club. The club had to give way to Erastus Wiman's ventures at that site and move to the former Rufus King Delafield estate in the Livingston neighborhood of Staten Island about 1.8 miles (2.9 km) away from St. George. In 1906 the name of the club was changed to the Staten Island Cricket and Tennis Club, and changed again in 1931 to the Staten Island Cricket Club. In 1925 the property was sold to the Staten Island Academy then sold in 1930 to the city of New York. [5] After the sale to city the estate was originally named Livingston Park but was later renamed Walker Park in memory of Randolph St. George Walker Jr., a casualty of World War I and son of a prominent member and officer of the club." [1] [2] [5] [6] A clubhouse on the grounds burned down in 1932, taking many of the club's records with it. The clubhouse was replaced with a Tudor style brick structure in 1934 that is still standing. [5]
Famous cricketers that have played while visiting at the SICC include England captain Pelham Warner played there in 1903 Gilbert Jessop, Donald Bradman, Everton Weekes, and Garry Sobers. [5] Uncorroborated club lore has it that W. G. Grace, Colin Blythe, and K. S. Ranjitsinhji also played at Walker (Livingston) Park.
Early movie scenes of the S I Cricket Club can be seen in the famous silent film Raffles the Amateur Cracksman (1917) with famous actor John Barrymore. Barrymore lived on Staten Island as a child. The film is also on youtube. Scenes show a cricket match played at the club.
Walker Park has the SICC cricket field with cricket pitch prominently placed in the center of the park, but it also has six asphalt tennis courts in its southeast corner, a little league baseball field in its southwest corner, two basketball courts along the west, and a children's playground in the northwest corner. The cricket club uses the 1934 brick and half-timbered clubhouse in the northeast corner of the park at 50 Bard Avenue.
In the 2000s the club participated in competitive matches in the New York Metropolitan and District Association League. [7] The Latin motto of the club is Lude Ludum Insignia Secundaria which is translated to mean "Winning the game is a secondary concern. Playing the game is a primary reward. (It's just a game...)" [7] [8] In popular culture it was depicted in Joseph O'Neill's novel Netherland which was a story about a New York banker shaken up by the events of September 11, 2001 who takes up cricket and starts playing at the Staten Island club. [7]
Staten Island is the southernmost borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southern tip of the U.S. state of New York. The borough is separated from the adjacent state of New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull and from the rest of New York by New York Bay. With a population of 495,747 in the 2020 Census, Staten Island is the least populated New York City borough but the third largest in land area at 58.5 sq mi (152 km2); it is also the least densely populated and most suburban borough in the city.
The College of Staten Island (CSI) is a public university in Staten Island, New York. It is one of the 11 four-year senior colleges within the City University of New York system. Programs in the liberal arts and sciences and professional studies lead to bachelor's and associate degrees. The master's degree is awarded in 13 professional and liberal arts and sciences fields of study. A clinical doctorate is awarded by the department of physical therapy. The college participates in doctoral programs of the CUNY Graduate Center in biochemistry, biology, chemistry, computer science, nursing, physics, and psychology.
Eugenius Harvey Outerbridge was a businessman and promoter of patent fiberboard, and the first chairman of the interstate agency known then as the Port of New York Authority. The Outerbridge Crossing, a Port Authority bridge, was named for him.
The Polo Grounds was the name of three stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used mainly for professional baseball and American football from 1880 through 1963. The original Polo Grounds, opened in 1876 and demolished in 1889, was built for the sport of polo. Bound on the south and north by 110th and 112th streets and on the east and west by Fifth and Sixth (Lenox) avenues, just north of Central Park, it was converted to a baseball stadium when leased by the New York Metropolitans in 1880.
The Metropolitan Club was a 19th-century professional baseball team that played in New York City from 1880 to 1887.
The St George's Cricket Club was originally located in Manhattan, New York it later moved to Hoboken, New Jersey. Its name comes from its association with St. George's Episcopal Church at Stuyvesant Square, Manhattan. It hosted the first international cricket match in 1844, between Canada and the United States. The club was founded in 1838. Nicknamed the Dragonslayers, the SGCC set the standard of US cricket from 1838 to the Civil War.
West New Brighton is a neighborhood of Staten Island, New York City, situated along the central North Shore. The neighborhood is bordered by New Brighton to the east, Port Richmond to the west, the waters of the Kill Van Kull to the north, and the communities of Sunnyside and Castleton Corners to the south.
St. George Cricket Grounds or St. George Grounds is a former baseball venue located on Staten Island, New York. St. George was the home park for the New York Metropolitans of the American Association for the 1886 and 1887 seasons. The grounds were also a part-time home to the New York Giants of the National League in 1889.
Westerleigh is a residential neighborhood in the northwestern part of Staten Island in New York City.
Mary Ewing Outerbridge was an American woman who imported the lawn game tennis to the United States from Bermuda.
The Staten Island University Hospital Community Park is a baseball stadium located on the northeastern tip of Staten Island in New York City. The ballpark is the home of the Staten Island FerryHawks, a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and is largest stadium in the league by capacity at 7,171. From 2001 to 2020, it hosted the Staten Island Yankees, the New York–Penn League affiliate of the New York Yankees. The ballpark was also previously home to the Wagner College Seahawks and the city's Pro Cricket team in 2004. In addition, local high schools have the chance to play at least one game at SIUH Community Park.
Livingston is a name sometimes applied to the northeastern portion of West Brighton, a neighborhood located on the North Shore of the New York City borough of Staten Island.
Sports in the New York metropolitan area have a long and distinguished history.
Curtis High School, operated by the New York City Department of Education, is one of seven public high schools located in Staten Island, New York City, New York. It was founded on February 9, 1904, the first high school on Staten Island.
Merion Cricket Club is a private club which is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1865.
Richmond County Country Club (RCCC) is a private country club in Staten Island, New York. The club includes a golf course, tennis courts, an aquatic facility, and two clubhouses. The golf course and the main clubhouse have impressive views of New York Harbor, the Atlantic Ocean, and the New Jersey highlands. For more than a century Richmond County has been the only private county club in New York City and is one of the oldest in the United States.
The 1878 Women's Tennis Season was mainly composed of regional, local amateur tournaments. This year 2 tennis events for women were staged in Limerick, Ireland and Staten Island, New York City, United States between September and October 1878
The Staten Island Invitation was a men's grass court tennis tournament founded in 1886. It was first played at Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club, Livingston, Staten Island, New York City, United States. The tournament was staged until 1922 when it was abolished.
The Staten Island Ladies' Club Open was a tennis competition founded in 1878 as the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club Tournament. In 1883 the event was known as the Camp Washington Ladies Lawn Tennis Tournament. In 1885 it was branded as the Ladies Club for Outdoor Sports Open The tournament was discontinued in 1908.
The Staten Island Cricket and Base Ball Club, which for years was rated as... The club was incorporated in January, 1866. During the summer it was a ...The Staten Island Cricket and Base Ball Club, which for years was rated as the... had its grounds for many years at Camp Washington, or what may now be ...
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