American Legion Stadium is a venue in Wilmington, North Carolina that has been used for many years for semi-pro and high school football.

Overall, NC State had a record of 1-0-1 at this field, all as a neutral site.

  * Non-conference games

The land which became Wilmington's American Legion Stadium (often referred to locally as just Legion Stadium) was first purchased by Wilmington's American Legion Post No. 10; their goal was to create a permanent location for the area's Coastal Fair, as well as a home for their legion post. The first fair was hosted in 1935, the same year that work on the stadium (with assistance from the Work Progress Administration -- WPA), started. The initial cost of construction was about $240,000 (just over $5 million in 2023), of which $180,000 was supplied by the WPA, $30,000 was supplied by New Hanover County, and $27,000 was supplied by the Post No. 10.

Work was often delayed so that the field, while still under construction, could be used to host events: nearly 60 baseball games, at least 15 football games (of which the 1938 match against The Citadel was the first), a horse show, several iterations of The Coastal Fairs, and a series of wrestling matches. With all the delays, work on the stadium was not completed until 1940. The original venue was expected to hold 2 baseball diamonds, 2 softball diamonds, 4 horse stables, a football field, and a 12,000 sq. ft. "utility building" for indoor events and exhibits at the fair. The venue continued to host events of a similar ilk after its formal opening, as well as Negro League baseball teams and stock car racing [1].

As was often the case, early reports on the venue heavily overestimated the capacity, reporting 4,000 permanent seats and another 6,000 portable ones for large events. In reality, the stadium normally sat much fewer: a 1953 report indicated the concrete stands held about 3,800 persons, while temporary bleachers upped that number to 7,200 -- it's worth noting, however, that these temporary bleachers seem to have been pretty regular fixtures at the venue [2]. Similarly, the 4 baseball and softball diamonds seem to be more theoretical than real: aerial photos from 1949, 1956, and 1966 never indicate more than a single diamond [8].

Despite the variety of entertainment, the stadium repeatedly struggled to draw crowds, with local Tobacco League baseball meetings averaging about 1,000 fans per game, with a season high of just 3,000 in 1947. That, plus conflicts over scheduling with local county commissioners, eventually led the Wilmington Pirates to construct their own baseball field, Wilmington's present E. P. Godwin Stadium, even though lights had been installed in July 1947. About the same time, several local high schools (among the plant's busiest tenants) began constructing their own athletic venues. Local sports writer Roy Cook predicted that once they left, "American Legion Stadium will be left to rot" [3].

And rot it did. In 1956, it was derided as "a dowdy mess that disgusts every newcomer"; jabs at its dilapidated state were frequent. Part of the disuse and neglect was blamed on a series of complicated stipulations on its usage left by the Legionnaires (including a prohibition on "professional" uses), as well as a confusing amalgamation of ownership between the city and county, though failing lights and crumbling infrastructure were also culprits. The City of Wilmington purchased the complex outright by 1957 and put their money where their mouth was -- sort of. Much of their investment was on the horse stables and the harness race track, which were seen as the primary money-makers; the remainder of the venue largely continued to languish [4].

Even through the 1960s, few improvements were made. In the absence of city funding, local Jaycees helped repaint the venue and refurbish restrooms, dressing rooms, horse barns, and fences in 1964. By 1970, it was crumbling, having held five or more football games a week for decades. The majority of local residents surveyed were in favor of a total teardown. City officials continued to pussyfoot until 1973, when a $500,000 (over $3.5 million in 2024) appropriation from the county injected new life into the stadium. Even then, though, work went haltingly: all parties agreed drainage needed to be improved, but little else among a laundry list of needed repairs -- ranging from electrical work to bathroom renovations to "expansion cracks" forming in the bleachers -- could be agreed upon [5].

Despite ample "foot-dragging and buck-passing," the parties evenually agreed to terms, spreading repairs over 5 years. The layout of the complex selected exactly the layout it retains to this day, with a baseball diamond in the northeast corner, a football field south of it, and a practice field east of that. Much of the football work was completed by 1975. As part of the renovation, the football field shifted closer to the existing west grandstand, and a new 1,800-person set of stands (with restrooms and concessions) was constructed on the east sideline of the football field. Modern estimates put the older west bleachers at a capacity of 3,500 and the smaller east bleachers at 1,500.

This work displaced the old baseball diamond, whose whome plate abutted the flat west grandstand, making 45-degree angles with the baselines, contrary to many multi-purpose venues of the era. The new baseball diamond was completed by 1977. The baseball stadium seats 1,200 persons now, though I've been unable to find a period capacity. The revamped stadium was said to be "beautiful" and "among the finest in the state" when it finally opened. Tennis courts and a pool were also added in 1977.

Though the equestrian work had been sustaining the stadium for nearly two decades, the harness track and horse stables were removed with the 1972-1977 renovations. The move afforded a much better experience for the remaining programs, allowing the football field to be moved closer to the existing west stands and the venue to generally enlarge. "It's a case of where we will have to decide between 60 horses or 15,000 school kids," explained New Hanover County Commissioner Peter Davis. Put in those terms, the decision was obvious: the horse stables, which were in need of repair anyhow, were done away with, and high school athletics re-emphasized [6].

The venue remains largely similar as of this writing, hosting predominantly high school action for both football and baseball. The original tennis courts (apparently in the location of the one of the retaining ponds by the armory) were demolished in 1989-90 as part of a project to alleviate the area's poor drainage; they were replaced with a set courts in 1991, which were retrofitted with lines for pickleball courts in 2023 at the expense of the Cape Fear Pickleball Club. In 1992, the pool and tennis courts were named in honor of area athletes Robert Shipp (a local councilman and fire chief) and Althea Gibson* (the first black athlete to win Wimbledon), respectively. The baseball field had been named for Buck Hardee, a longtime coach and player for Post 10, in 1981, while the football field was renamed Jurgenson-Gabriel Field in 2007 in honor of NC State great Roman Gabriel and Eagles and Redskins quarterback Sonny Jurgenson. The area remains largely unmodified as of this writing [7].

* The rebranded name of the tennis courts was evidently not widely used, as I've found no evidence of the name being used or being changed. Despite this, the city renamed the tennis complex at Empie Park in Gibson's honor in 2009. In modern usage, all writing I've found using the name Gibson Courts or Gibson Tennis Complex always refers to the latter venue.

Pictures of American Legion Stadium