Memorial Field at 1151 Huntingdon Road in Abington will be used again this fall by Penn State Abington’s women’s lacrosse, track, and soccer teams, and the grounds have come a long way since its early planning stages.

The field, which is owned and managed by Abington School District, has been rented to Penn State Abington since 2014. In exchange, the University put $5 million towards its renovation.

According to local historian Mike Leibrandt, Memorial Field was in such bad shape during the 1997-98 school year that Abington played all away games. 1999 was the last year the field was used for Abington Senior High School’s graduation ceremonies and served as the location of home games until 2005.

The concept was first hatched after the demolition of Huntingdon Junior High in 1996. From a 1997 issue of Abington Ghost Stories:

From a Spring 1998 issue:

Huntingdon Junior High School opened in 1909 and the land across Huntingdon Road became the current field. The gymnasium and field were renovated in 1940-1941, and though the junior high closed in 1983, the gymnasium was used as an athletic facility until its demolition.

Abington Memorial Field post-renovation

From a 2015 edition of PSU News:

Penn State Abington and its community partner the Abington School District rededicated the upgraded and renovated Memorial Field last week, officially opening the athletic facility for shared use by the members of the college, school district, and community.

Penn State Abington’s NCAA Division III membership increased its competitiveness in the Philadelphia market leading it to initiate the $5 million-plus investment with no cost to the school district or local taxpayers. Memorial Field now boasts a multipurpose artificial turf field with a track, field house, tennis courts, repositioned and improved softball field and storage building, practice field, new seating, and expanded parking facilities.

Karen Wiley Sandler, Penn State Abington chancellor, said the project brought  years of careful planning to fruition.

“The entire community wins by seeing and supporting the spirit of collaboration and mutual trust that drove this project from start to finish,” Sandler said. “I predict that our partnership will serve as a state-wide, and perhaps national, model. So again, Abington leads the way.”

For more on the field, you can visit its Facebook page.

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