History
The Peppers opened the park on April 16, 1915 before 26,032 fans in the Federal League's final season. The International League Newark Bears then used it from 1916, and it hosted National Challenge Cup soccer finals in 1918 and 1923 and American Cup finals in 1920 and 1921.
Fire destroyed the park a few hours after a game on August 18, 1923. An apartment building and a Montessori school now occupy the site, a few blocks from Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Why it matters: It was the Federal League's New Jersey ballpark and a major early soccer venue.
Timeline
- April 16, 1915Opening game[1]
The Peppers' home opener drew 26,032.
- May 19, 1918National Challenge Cup final replay[1]
Bethlehem Steel beat Fall River Rovers 3–0 before about 10,000.
- April 1, 19231923 National Challenge Cup final[1]
Paterson F.C. and St. Louis Scullin Steel drew 2–2; Paterson received the Cup when Scullin declined a rematch.
- August 18, 1923Destroyed by fire[1]
The park burned a couple of hours after a game.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1] |
|---|---|
| Current use | A luxury apartment building and a Montessori school[1] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Newark Peppers | Federal League · 1915 |
|---|---|
| Newark Bears | International League · 1916–1923 |
| West Hudson A.A. | National Association Football League · tenant |
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 | Harrison Field; Federal League Park; Peppers Park; Federal Baseball Park |
|---|---|
| Location | Block bounded by Middlesex Street (now Angelo Cifelli Drive), South 3rd Street, Burlington Avenue and South 2nd Street, Harrison, New Jersey |
| Venue type | Ballpark |
| Sports | Baseball, Soccer |
| Level | MLB, Minor league |
| Opened | April 16, 1915[1] |
| Last used for sports | August 18, 1923[1] |
| Demolished | August 18, 1923[1] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 21,000[1] |
| Closure | Destroyed by fire on August 18, 1923. |
Documented details
Sources
- Harrison Park (New Jersey), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, current land use, demolished, events, opened, teams
- Harrison Field, Harrison (park HAR01), 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 (2)
- The opening-day crowd of 26,032 exceeds the stated capacity of 21,000.
- Contemporary clippings call it Harrison Field; Wikipedia uses Harrison Park.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.