Marvel Gymnasium
Encyclopedia
Marvel Gymnasium was a 3,000-seat multipurpose gymnasium in Providence, Rhode Island
. It was home to the Brown University
Bears basketball team as well as other teams. The gymnasium included a basketball court and seating, a second-floor running track, squash and handball courts, a wrestling room, a boxing room, and a fencing room.
The building was located at Aldrich Field, located on Elmgrove Avenue across from Brown Stadium
. The land for Aldrich Field was a gift to the University from brothers Charles and Henry Aldrich, both alumni of Brown. The façade's clock face read "A-L-D-R-I-C-H-F-I-E-L-D" instead of the regular numbers, with the "R" being in place of the 12. The bronze statue of "Bruno," the Brown bear mascot
, was located just to the south of the main entrance on a pedestal containing a piece of slate
said to have been from the spot where Roger Williams landed in what would become Providence in 1636. After Marvel Gym was closed, the statue was moved to the College Green, where it originally stood.
On October 7, 1938, the building was rededicated to the memory of Frederick W. "Doc" Marvel, class of 1896, a longtime athletic director. The building was in use until 1989, when the Pizzitola Sports Center
opened at the Brown Athletic Conference. It was then closed and stood dormant until 2002, when it was demolished, well past its usefulness and becoming dangerously dilapidated. There are now practice fields on the site.
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
. It was home to the Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
Bears basketball team as well as other teams. The gymnasium included a basketball court and seating, a second-floor running track, squash and handball courts, a wrestling room, a boxing room, and a fencing room.
The building was located at Aldrich Field, located on Elmgrove Avenue across from Brown Stadium
Brown Stadium
Brown Stadium is a football stadium located in Providence, Rhode Island. It is the home of Brown University's football and outdoor track teams. The athletic teams at Brown University, known as the Bears, compete in the Ivy League....
. The land for Aldrich Field was a gift to the University from brothers Charles and Henry Aldrich, both alumni of Brown. The façade's clock face read "A-L-D-R-I-C-H-F-I-E-L-D" instead of the regular numbers, with the "R" being in place of the 12. The bronze statue of "Bruno," the Brown bear mascot
Brown Bears
The Brown Bears is a name shared by all sports teams at Brown University, a university located in Providence, Rhode Island in the United States. The Bears are part of the Ivy League conference. Brown's mascot is Bruno. Both the men's and women's teams share the name, competing in 37 National...
, was located just to the south of the main entrance on a pedestal containing a piece of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
said to have been from the spot where Roger Williams landed in what would become Providence in 1636. After Marvel Gym was closed, the statue was moved to the College Green, where it originally stood.
On October 7, 1938, the building was rededicated to the memory of Frederick W. "Doc" Marvel, class of 1896, a longtime athletic director. The building was in use until 1989, when the Pizzitola Sports Center
Pizzitola Sports Center
The Paul Bailey Pizzitola Memorial Sports Center, often referred to as "the Pitz" by students, is a 2,800-seat multi-purpose athletic center in Providence, Rhode Island which was built in 1989. It is home to the Brown University Bears men's and women's basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, wrestling...
opened at the Brown Athletic Conference. It was then closed and stood dormant until 2002, when it was demolished, well past its usefulness and becoming dangerously dilapidated. There are now practice fields on the site.