Burlington Athletic Stadium

Exterior of Burlington Athletic Stadium, Aug-2014.

The stadium area as seen from down the first-base line.

Fans enjoy a late-summer game.

Chronological Tour: Stop 19

• Location: Fairchild Park, Graham Street, Burlington, N.C. (map it using Google Maps)
• Opened: 1960 as Fairchild Stadium
• Additional names: Burlington Athletic Stadium (1986)
• Home team: Burlington Indians (1960-64), Senators (1965-71), Rangers (1972), Carolina League; Burlington Indians (1986-2006), Royals (2007-19), Sock Puppets (2021-present), Appalachian League
• Capacity: 3,000

Rating: 2 baseballs

The stadium structure itself has an unusual pedigree. It stood in Danville, Va., as League Park, home of a Carolina League team, from 1945 (or perhaps earlier) to 1958, after which the team was sold to investors from Burlington. The steel structure was then dismantled and moved by train to Burlington, where it was reassembled in time for the 1960 Carolina League season.

The park fits in quite well with the rest of the parks in the Appalachian League, simple yet functional. As in other typical minor and amateur league ballparks of the era, ramps lead up from the exterior, where the concession stands are located under the stand, to the main seating bowl. The lower seats are molded, while the upper general admission section features aluminum bleachers. The club has added limited additional seating down the baselines, including picnic areas and the like. Those baseline bleachers were replaced in 2016, while areas beneath the stadium were also renovated for 2015.

With the Appalachian League transforming from a rookie professional league to an MLB-sponsored college summer league for 2021, the club here will sport a name other than that of a major league affiliate for the first time. Burlington’s team is now known as the Sock Puppets. The name pays homage to the long-standing hosiery industry in the area.