This field in Palmerton has gone by several different names over the years: Palmerton High School Athletic Field, S. S. Palmer Field, Palmerton High Field, Palmerton Athletic Field, S.S. Palmer Athletic Field, Seventh Street Field.
It is bounded on the south by Delaware Avenue, on the west by Seventh Street, on the north by Franklin Avenue, and by two houses on the east.
1958 aerial photo showing the location of the Delaware Avenue Field in Palmerton
According to the Lehigh Gap Historical Society, one of the earliest athletic fields in the borough was located on Delaware Avenue between 5th and 6th streets. But in 1916, a new site was chosen on Delaware Avenue east of Seventh Street, and a drive for funds was initiated with the New Jersey Zinc Company contributing an amount equal to that collected. The Palmerton Athletic Association bought the new site, and a total of more than $1000 was spent to lay out the field, erect some covered bleachers and put up a wooden fence to enclose the park.
1957 action on the Delaware Avenue Field
Over time, some further improvements to the field did take place.
1932, the infield and outfield were reconstructed, and a wire fence was installed to enclose the field.
1939, six lots on the east side of the field were bought and added to the site. This was part of a larger (and lengthy) Works Public Administration (WPA) project The entire area was then regraded and re-sodded. A quarter-mile cinder track was installed along with jumping pits and areas for shot, discus and javelin.
21 September 1940, a Saturday, the reconstructed field opened for the football game versus Summit Hill (a 13-7 loss). Since Palmerton had played all its football games away in 1939, it played all of its games at home in 1940.
18 April 1941, a Friday, the first baseball game was played in three years on the Delaware field (a 12-5 loss to Emmaus). The left and right field lines had been lengthened, the field repositioned, and turf planted everywhere.
April 1941, foundations were laid for a 700-seat grandstand on the south side of the field. This was primarily for track and field competitions, with the grandstand being placed at the finish line of the track, but the seats could also be used for baseball games. In June 1941, the Carbon County track meet took place with the county’s five high schools (East Mauch Chunk, Lansford, Lehighton, Palmerton and Summit Hill) participating.
Note that while the field renovations were taking place, the school board rented Charles Kern’s field for practices and scrimmages. The field was north of Palmerton, adjacent to the Towamensing Cemetery.
1953, the school board approved a field house for the field.
April 1961, a new backstop was installed and the bleachers were re-painted.
The field on Delaware Avenue did not have lights. That meant that games took place on Saturday afternoons. I have not found any mention of the use of temporary lights.
Once the new high school was opened, and all high school athletic contests were moved to fields in the immediate vicinity of the high school in 1966, the school board still controlled what it referred to as the 7th street field, which it leased to the borough. For example, in 1990 the borough re-signed a $1 lease for the 7th street field with the promise to maintain the field and keep it open to all residents.
In 1991-92, Horsehead Industries (successor of the New Jersey Zinc Co.) helped to cover the entire field with new grass. There were later remediation efforts undertaken on the field to deal with high levels of lead and cadmium.
In 2007 Rite Aid, the national drug store chain, proposed to purchase some of the field for a store site, but the school board rebuffed the offer. The following year the school board announced that it would accept bids for a small parcel (1.2 of the 3.7 acres on the site), starting at 1.95 million dollars, but there were no takers.
Sometime around 2022, the old field house was torn down. A driver lost control of his car and crashed into the building, damaging it irreparably. But the field remains and is still in use.
Current photo of the Delaware Avenue field