Capitoline Grounds - Origin and Construction

Origin and Construction

The Capitoline Grounds, named in reverence to Capitoline Hill, one of the famous Seven Hills of Rome, was first conceived in 1863 as a rival to the nearby Union Grounds, which had opened the previous year. The original plan included the draining of the Capitoline pond, used as an ice-skating area during the Winters, to make room for the park, but it failed, and wasn't until 1864 that the park was finished. In April, the proprieters, Reuben S. Decker and Hamilton A. Weed, offered the Atlantic Club of Brooklyn a free lease to play their games at their new park. The Grounds stood in Bedford, in a block bounded by Halsey Street, and Marcy, Putnam and Nostrand Avenues, an area that is now known as the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood.

The Capitoline Grounds consisted of two sets of bleachers that seated that were backed by Nostrand Avenue and Halsey Street, and had an approximate capacity of 5,000 people. In right field stood a circular brick outhouse, and if any player hit a ball over the structure, they were presented with a bottle of Champagne. Along Putname Avenue, two rows of stables were established for the patrons' horses. Other amenities included a bandstand, clubhouses, and sitting rooms for the female patrons.