Bowdoin’s Whittier Field Athletic Complex has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to Kirk F. Mohney of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission, it was entered into the register on June 26, 2017.

Hubbard Grandstand (circa 1910)

The complex comprises Whittier Field itself, built in 1896, the Hubbard Grandstand (1904) and the Class of 1903 Memorial Gate (1928). “The grouping of the three major components creates an identifiable historic district at the local level,” reads the description on the MHPC website.

Class of 1903 Gateway

Construction of Whittier Field, considered one of the most storied football venues in the nation, began seven years after Bowdoin’s first inter-collegiate football game against Tufts in 1889. Competitive sports were expanding across the nation at that time, and had developed in popularity to the point where grandstands and stadiums were needed for spectators.

Earlier this year, Bowdoin announced plans to renovate Whittier Field and Magee Samuelson Track in a two-phase project. The initial $4.5-million phase began in early May 2017 and is on track to be completed in September 2017.