Help Restore the Gardner Park Grandstand

With an announcement in 1939 from then Newport City Mayor Winston Prouty, Newport’s recreational vision of the future, a glorious grandstand on Gardner Park started to take shape. At twenty-five feet wide and ninety-six feet long, it was an imposing structure designed to be the focal point of an attractive recreational center. It was an impressive structure seating 700 to 800 fans that over the last 80 years has created memories that brings tears to your eyes and makes your heart skip a beat. Unfortunately, as you visit the park today you can see that it has clearly seen its better days.

The goal of the Restore the Gardner Park Grandstand committee is two-fold, restore the grandstand and return it to its glorious days when Satchel Paige, “Pudge” Fisk and Robin Roberts roamed the field striking out batters and hitting massive home runs. Add to that the site of little league players getting their first hit, racing around the bases and sliding into home plate, American Legion and Babe Ruth baseball, Sacred Heart and Newport High school playing baseball, football and soccer and you have memories from the park to almost fill a life time. With that in mind the committee hopes that this will help to invigorate the economy and revitalize the recreational community of our city.

Please follow us as we begin this journey, offer suggestions and ideas, send up pictures and stories, contribute to the fund and as one follower said,” Wrap your arms around the History of the grandstand at Gardner Park and restore it for future generations.