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Swampoodle Grounds

1886 establishments in Washington, D.C.Baseball venues in Washington, D.C.Defunct baseball venues in the United StatesDefunct sports venues in Washington, D.C.Demolished buildings and structures in Washington, D.C.
Demolished sports venues in the United StatesHistory of Washington, D.C.Southern United States baseball venue stubsSports venues completed in 1886Washington, D.C., building and structure stubsWashington, D.C., sport stubs
Flickr USCapitol Washington Nationals baseball team of the National League circa 1886 1889
Flickr USCapitol Washington Nationals baseball team of the National League circa 1886 1889

Swampoodle Grounds aka Capitol Park (II) was the home of the Washington Nationals baseball team of the National League from 1886 to 1889. The name refers to the one-time Swampoodle neighborhood of Washington. The ballfield was located on a block bounded by North Capitol Street NE and tracks (west); F Street NE (south); Delaware Avenue NE (east); and G Street NE (north); a few blocks north of the Capitol building. Spectators faced toward the south and could see the Capitol dome. They could also see the McDowell and Sons Feed Mill, visible behind right field in the picture, and which was across F Street to the south. The club moved a few blocks north, from Capitol Park (I) to the Swampoodle location, upon joining the National League. Local papers reported that the new grounds had more space and a more favorable lease. The papers often referred to the new grounds as Capitol Park, even as the previous Capitol Park was still in use, under the same name, for various types of entertainment. When referencing the previous park, the reports would general specify its location, to minimize possible confusion. Portions of the site were eventually annexed as the site of the Union Station and of the Main Post Office, which is now the National Postal Museum. Swampoodle Grounds held 6,000. The Washington Statesmen folded after the end of the 1889 season.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Swampoodle Grounds (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Swampoodle Grounds
Union Station Drive Northeast, Washington Near Northeast

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N 38.8973 ° E -77.0075 °
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Union Station Drive Northeast

Union Station Drive Northeast
20549 Washington, Near Northeast
District of Columbia, United States
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Flickr USCapitol Washington Nationals baseball team of the National League circa 1886 1889
Flickr USCapitol Washington Nationals baseball team of the National League circa 1886 1889
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Postal Square Building
Postal Square Building

The Postal Square Building (formerly the City Post Office) served as the main post office for the city of Washington, D.C., from the building's completion in 1914 to 1986. It now houses the National Postal Museum, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and offices of the United States Senate. Architect Daniel Burnham designed the building in the Beaux-Arts style—the same style Burnham used for the neighboring Union Station. Construction for the Postal Square Building began in 1911 on a lot near the Capitol. Planning began with a 1901 proposal by the Senate Parks Commission. The commission called for three buildings to mark the northern end of the Capitol complex. While the first two buildings in the plan, Union Station and the Postal Square Building, were completed early in the 20th century, the 1901 plan would not be fully implemented until the completion of the Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building in 1992. A major renovation from 1929 to 1935 expanded the building for increased mail processing and service capacity. By the 1950s, renovations had removed many of the Beaux-Arts features of the building. The main hall and lobby area only showed traces of their former grandiose design with modernist elements replacing the Beaux-Arts style. The building received another major renovation in the early 1990s, during which the original appearance of the lobby and main hall area was restored. The National Postal Museum moved into the building in 1993 following the renovations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Capitol City Brewing Company also moved into the building during the 1990s. (Capitol City Brewing Company closed in 2011 to make room for an expansion of the National Postal Museum.)

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