HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (WWJ) -- Hamtramck Stadium, the former home of the Detroit Stars, is one of just five Negro League stadiums still in existence today.
The stadium was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012 and a State of Michigan Historic Marker was dedicated at the site in 2014.
The stadium's original grandstand and field sit within Veterans Memorial Park on the south side of Hamtramck, located on Dan Street, off Jos. Campau, though the field has not been used in decades and the structures are in poor shape.
A group called the Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium formed several years ago with a goal of restoring the historic site. Having already raised $40,000, the group is seeking to bump that up to an even $50,000 because there is up to an additional $50,000 in state matching money available through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
A total of $100,000 to restore the former site would go a long way, Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium president Gary Gillette says. And the preservation of such an historic place is more important now than ever.
"You read about it in the history books and you read about it on the web, but people don't remember it firsthand; even peoples' grandparents now, the memories are fading," Gillette told WWJ's Jon Hewett. "It's really important that we keep this memory alive, we restore the history and restore this as a really pivotal place for Hamtramck public gathering."
Michigan State Rep. Isaac Robinson on District 4 in Hamtramck says the history of the stadium goes beyond baseball.
"You think about the painful history of African-American being dislocated from Hamtramck when they built the freeway, it's nice that we're coming together across ethnicity and religion to build and rebuild this historic Hamtramck Stadium where the Negro Leagues played," Robinson said. "And it's only one of five remaining locations in the United States, so it's very important."
Hamtramck Stadium opened in 1930 and played host to the Stars' final seasons before the team and the Negro National League ultimately folded a few years later.
While the stadium was used for local Little League Baseball and high school football games, Robinson says many other high-profile sporting events were held at Hamtramck Stadium over the years.
"Joe Louis's softball team, the Brown Bombers, played here," Robinson said. "There was an all-star team from Japan that played here in 1935 that later became the Tokyo Giants, the New York Yankees of Japanese baseball. There were soccer teams from Europe that played here, boxing matches, integrated boxing matches. There were all sorts of community events held here."
In addition to restoring the baseball field for regular use, the restoration plans include updating existing structures, as well as brand new soccer and cricket pitches that would be open for public use.
The Friends of Historic Hamtramck Stadium are hoping to raise the final $10,000 within the next week. Donations can be made on the group's website. More information can be found on their Facebook and Twitter pages.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation has also donated money to revamp Veterans Memorial Park, which includes Hamtramck Stadium, as well as Keyworth Stadium, which is home to Detroit City FC.
