League Park, Palace of the Fans

League Park

"League Park was a Major League baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1884 through 1901. The ballpark was on an asymmetrical block bounded by Findlay Street (south), Western Avenue (northeast, angling), York Street (north) and McLean Avenue (west). ... During the Cincinnati Reds first two season, the club played at the Bank Street Grounds. Following the 1883 season, the Reds were forced to abandon the park, because the lease had been bought out from under them by the new Cincinnati entry in the one-year wonder called the Union Association. The Reds had to find a new location, and they found one less than a mile away from their old park, a few blocks to the southeast on Western Avenue, at the northwest corner of where Findlay Street intersected Western. Thus the Reds remained in the West End, and fans had only to traverse Western Avenue to see the team of their choice."
Wikipedia

League Park

"League Park (formerly American Park) was the home park of the Cincinnati Reds (National) from 1894 to 1901. The location of the diamond and consequently the main grandstand seating area was shifted several times during the park's existence. Some of the moves resulted in different names being assigned to the ballpark, which is why historians refer to the 1894-1901 era of the stadium as League Park II. The actual name of the ballpark was not changed. In 1894 the ballpark went through major changes. Reds owner John Brush built a brand new grandstand and added an amphitheater. In order to build a new grandstand, he had the diamond shifted from the southeast corner (Findlay and Western) to the southwest corner (Findlay and McLean). Brush chose to retain the old seating as a right field pavilion."
SABR

League Park

Turn-of-the-Century Cincinnati Reds League Park Panoramic Postcard
"In yielding its few clues, we interpret that this panoramic postcard – providing a game-action view of Cincinnati’s League Park – probably dates to the late 1890s. It’s a three-panel postcard that opens to 5” x 21-3/4”, and it’s in about VG condition due to several vertical creases. The piece was mailed, but the postmark stamp is garbled (we can’t discern the year). Captioned 'Opening Game Cincinnati National League Park…Cincinnati VS. Chicago,' this view distinctly affirms that Reds facility of yore. At the time, the team was owned by John Brush (later of New York Giants renown), and in 1894 he directed the building of a new grandstand in League Park – one that shifted the orientation of the playing field 90 degrees – leaving the original grandstand pavilion in what became right field bleachers. Such is evidenced in this postcard. (A devastating fire virtually destroyed League Park in 1901, and a new park - known as “The Palace of the Fans” - opened at the same site in 1902.) In consulting Opening Day schedules for the Reds in that period, we discover that they hosted Chicago in 1894 (as the Colts), and in 1897 and 1900 (as the Orphans)."
Legendary Auctions

Palace of the Fans

"Palace of the Fans was a Major League baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home of the Cincinnati Reds from 1902 through 1911. The ballpark was on an asymmetrical block bounded by Findlay Street (south), Western Avenue (northeast, angling), York Street (north) and McLean Avenue (west). The "Findlay and Western" intersection was the home field of the Reds from 1884 through June 24, 1970, when the team moved to Riverfront Stadium. The location of the diamond and consequently the main grandstand seating area was shifted several times during the park's existence. ... The Palace of the Fans, so audaciously named, also presented a striking appearance. Built partially of concrete, and designed in a neo-classic style reminiscent of Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, the Palace featured an extravagant facade, with 22 hand-carved Corinthian columns with elaborate details at the top, and opera-style private boxes in front of the covered grandstand. The grandstand actually sat atop carriage stalls so that the wealthy could simply drive directly to the game, an early precursor of 'luxury suites'."
Wikipedia