WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — After a seven-year hiatus elected officials re-dedicated a plaque honoring the New York Yankees original stadium — Hilltop Park — in Washington Heights.
The plaque was unveiled Friday near the garden entrance of the New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center between on Fort Washington Avenue between West 165th and 166th streets. The memorial is formed in the shape of home plate and sits right where batters would take their stance in the original Hilltop Park.
The New York Highlanders — the franchise which became the New York Yankees — played at Hilltop Park between 1903 and 1912. The field's official named was American League Park, but was called Hilltop Park because it sat on one of the highest points in Manhattan.
In a community that loves baseball as much as Washington Heights it's important to remember the greats that once called the area home, State Assemblywoman Carmen De La Rosa said during Friday's re-dedication ceremony.
"In my culture baseball is very important. It's in our blood. But the reason why I think as Americans, and as immigrants and as people who live in Washington heights, we celebrate baseball because it brings us together," De La Rosa
"We celebrate the fact that today we can celebrate that history in Washington Heights," she added.
The New York Yankees originally dedicated the home plate plaque to New York Presbyterian and the Washington Heights community in 1993. The plaque was moved in 2011 while the medical center constructed a new radiology suite and renovated its gardens.
Friday's re-dedication ceremony drew some Yankee fans from New Jersey who had personal connections to the old Hilltop Park.
"It was extra special to me because my grandmother used to live on 165th street and she told me she remembers Hilltop Park and she would come here with her friends after the games and pick up the ticket stubs people would throw on the ground," John Newton said.
Photos courtesy New York Presbyterian
Patch Community Guidelines
Patch welcomes contributions and comments from our users. We strive for civil, enlightened discussions on Patch stories and local issues. Please abide by our posting standards:
Users who violate our posting rules will have their comments blocked or deleted. Users who flagrantly violate our standards can be banned at the moderator's discretion.