Draft:Lapham Field House



Lapham Field House is an athletic clubhouse sports facility at Yale University.

It was built during 1917–23 to a design by Philadelphia architect Frank Miles Day (1861–1918).

It was named for Henry G. Lapham, who donated $350,000 for its construction in 1924.

Philanthropist Joel E. Smilow, who endowed Yale University athletics' football head coach position, as well as head coach positions for men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's lacrosse, donated funds to expand and renovate the Lapham Field House as the Smilow Field Center.

It is a Georgian-style red brick building with marble trim designed by Day and Charles Zeller Klauder (1872–1938).

From Yale Bowl article:"Ground was broken on the stadium in August 1913. Fill excavated from the field area was used to build up a berm around the perimeter to create an elliptical bowl. The façade was designed to partially echo the campus's Neo-Gothic design, and, as with some central campus buildings, acid was applied to imitate the effects of aging. / It was the first bowl-shaped stadium in the country, and inspired the design of such stadiums as the Rose Bowl, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and Michigan Stadium. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987 for its role in football history. / The Yale Bowl's designer, Charles A. Ferry, for unknown reasons chose not to include locker rooms (or restrooms). Players dress in the Smilow Field Center and walk 200 yd to the field.  When the NFL's Giants played at the stadium (1973, 1974), the pro players disliked the arrangement, but Yale players reportedly enjoy the walk. Fans cheer for the team as it marches to the stadium while the Yale Band plays."