Houseman Field is an 8,000-seat multipurpose stadium located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It is named for former mayor and Congressman Julius Houseman and is the home of the Aquinas College Saints track teams. It is also used for high school football, and is the home for the new minor league soccer team Grand Rapids FC.[1] Grand Rapids Public Schools owns this stadium.
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| Location | Grand Rapids, MI |
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| Coordinates | 42°57′58″N 85°38′46″W / 42.9660°N 85.6462°W |
| Owner | Grand Rapids Public Schools |
| Capacity | 8,000 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1923 |
| Renovated | 2009 |
| Tenants | |
| Grand Rapids Central High School Union High School Ottawa Hills High School Catholic Central High School West Catholic High School Grand Rapids FC (GLPL/NPSL) (2015–present) | |
History
Julius Houseman's daughter, Hattie, donated six acres (24,000 m2) of land to the school district in 1907 for use as an athletic field. While it would be used for the Grand Rapids Central High School football team's football practices in the next 15 years, it was not until 1923 that the current stadium was built on that site; its first event was Catholic Central High School's 42–0 victory over Sparta High School. The football field was expanded in 1926, lights were installed in 1940, and artificial turf replaced grass in 1973.
Grand Rapids Central became the longest serving tenant of Houseman Field, and over the years, other high schools, including Creston High School, Catholic Central High School and West Catholic High School have also played their home games at this stadium, owing to the growing number of high schools in Grand Rapids. Currently, it is the home of the Ottawa Hills and Union High School football teams; both teams in recent years have opened their seasons playing each other at Houseman.
2009 renovation
In October 2008, the Grand Rapids Public Schools' Board of Education announced plans to perform a $6 million renovation to Houseman Field using funds left over from a 2004 facilities improvement bond. The renovation included turf replacement, a new press box, concession and restroom facilities, as well as miscellaneous structural and technological improvements. The newly renovated facility was reopened on August 25, 2009.
Notable athletes
- Gerald R. Ford, played for University of Michigan and later became the 38th president of the United States
- Terry Barr, played for University of Michigan and on NFL's Detroit Lions' 1957 NFL title squad with two Pro Bowl appearances
- Kelly Butler, played for Purdue University and the NFL's Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns
- Clarence Ellis, played for the University of Notre Dame and the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons; also was a high school state champion in track and field
- David Harris, played for University of Michigan and currently plays for NFL's New York Jets
- Bob Lurtsema, played for Western Michigan University and with the NFL's New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks
- Terna Nande, played for Miami University (Ohio) and NFL's Tennessee Titans and is currently playing in the Canadian Football League's British Columbia Lions
- Rueben Riley, played for University of Michigan and currently plays for NFL's Washington Redskins after having been with Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins