The stadium, which was built in the style of a typical horse race track grandstand, was first used as a baseball field in 1853, with the first game between the New York Knickerbockers and the Washington Club.

[2] The site later became part of the development of the then-new community of St. George, Staten Island in 1886, by Erastus Wiman.

The Amusement Company presented various elaborate stage plays on the site, with detrimental physical impact on the grounds, leaving the field in nearly unplayable condition.

In 1889, the Giants had to find a temporary home after the city closed the original Polo Grounds.

As noted in the SABR research,[1] the Staten Island Amusement Company grounds were on a block bounded by Wall Street (north-northwest, grandstand and hence home plate); railroad tracks and New York Bay (east-northeast, left field); Hyatt Street (south-southeast, center field); and Jay Street (Richmond Terrace) (west-southwest, right field).