Midtown in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Original Site of Stars Park

1922-1931

Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 9, 2026

1. Original Site of Stars Park Marker

Inscription.
On these grounds stood the site of the baseball park built for the St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League

This was the first professional baseball stadium owned exclusively by African Americans. It was built to hold 10,000 fans and later expanded to accommodate 16,000. Stars Park was the first St. Louis ballpark to install permanent lights for night baseball (1930), a decade before the other local major league clubs hosted night games. The St. Louis Stars, originally called the Giants, moved to this site in 1922 from a park on North Broadway in St. Louis. In 2020, Major League Baseball bestowed major league statue to the seven highest-ranking Negro Leagues from 1920 through 1948, including the Negro National League in which the Stars played.

Negro National League Champions in 1928, 1930 and 1931

James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell played centerfield for the Stars 1922-1931 - Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974
Willie Wells played shortstop for the Stars 1924-1931 - Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997
George "Mule" Suttles played five different positions for the Stars 1926-1931 - Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006

This ballpark was originally dedicated on May 2, 2007 by the Bob Broeg
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Chapter of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). These grounds were renovated in 2020 with generous donations from Cardinals Care and Harris-Stowe State University. On June 25, 2021, it was rededicated as "Stars Park Field."

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is May 2, 2007.

Location. 38° 37.876′ N, 90° 13.57′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Midtown. It is on Market Street east of South Compton Avenue, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 130 S Compton Ave, Saint Louis MO 63103, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Stars' Park (a few steps from this marker); Red Stockings' Park (approx. ¼ mile away); Camp Jackson (approx. ¼ mile away); Long Roads To Freedom (approx. 0.3 miles away); Moon Building (approx. 0.4 miles away); Durant-Star Building (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dodge-Reo Building (approx. 0.4 miles away); Stearns-Knight Building (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Louis.

More about this marker. This marker contains most of the text from the one a few steps away but also with updated information.

Regarding Original Site of Stars Park. The

Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 9, 2026

2. Original Site of Stars Park Marker

Marker is outside Stars' Park, which is on the grounds of Harris-Stowe State University.

St. Louis Stars Negro League baseball team dates back to 1906, when they played as the St. Louis Giants. The Giants were an independent team until 1919 when they joined the Negro National League. The team name would change to the Stars in 1921, after a change in ownership. The Negro National League existed for only 12 years, and all teams ceased in 1931. Two National Baseball Hall of Famers that played for the Stars are not listed on here because they did not play at Stars Park: Oscar Charleston (1920-21, inducted in 1997) and Biz Mackey (1920, inducted in 2006).

The stadium opened on July 9, 1922. St. Louis Mayor Henry Kiel threw the first pitch, and the Stars would lose 4-0 against the Indianapolis A.B.C.'s. The ballpark held a capacity of 10,000. For several decades, the ballpark was widely known to not have any surviving photographs, until 2016 when a historian was going through someone's old items.

Also see . . . Stars Park on Wikipedia. (Submitted on March 9, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

via NPR, unknown

3. Original Site of Stars Park Marker

Historian Hits Home Run With Rare Photo Of Long-Gone Baseball Park: St. Louis Public Radio website entry: This image is believed to be the only known image of the old Stars Park that stood in St. Louis in the 1920s and early 1930s. Click for more information.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 9, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 13 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 9, 2026, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.