History
Reuben Decker and Hamilton Weed built the grounds as a winter skating pond that was drained for baseball. The Atlantics won the first game on May 5, 1864, and on June 14, 1870 they beat the Cincinnati Red Stockings in 11 innings, ending an 84-game winning streak.
The Atlantics played their only major-league season there in 1872. P. T. Barnum's circus gave the last show in April 1880, and later that year the grounds were demolished and cut through by Jefferson Avenue and Hancock Street.
Why it matters: The Atlantics ended the Cincinnati Red Stockings' 84-game winning streak there in 1870.
Timeline
- May 5, 1864First game[1]
The Atlantics beat a field of nine 45–11.
- June 14, 1870Red Stockings' streak ends[1]
The Atlantics ended the Cincinnati Red Stockings' 84-game winning streak in 11 innings.
- September 1873Balloon launch[1]
Washington Donaldson launched a transatlantic balloon attempt from the grounds; rain forced it down in Connecticut.
- 1880Demolished[1]
After P. T. Barnum's circus gave its final show there in April 1880, the grounds were demolished and cut by new streets.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Residential lots, cut through by Jefferson Avenue and Hancock Street |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Atlantic of Brooklyn | National Association of Base Ball Players · 1864–1871 |
|---|---|
| Brooklyn Atlantics | National Association · 1872 |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | Capitoline Skating Pond |
|---|---|
| Location | Block bounded by Halsey Street, Marcy Street, Putnam Avenue and Nostrand Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball |
| Level | MLB, Amateur |
| Opened | May 5, 1864[1] |
| Last used for sports | 1880[1] |
| Demolished | 1880[1] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 5,000[1] |
| Owner / operator | Reuben S. Decker and Hamilton A. Weed |
Documented details
Sources
- Capitoline Grounds, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, coordinates, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Capitoline Grounds (park NYC02), Baseball Data Hub. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates, teams
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Stated capacity of 5,000 conflicts with reported crowds of up to about 20,000 in 1870.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.