Photos: Remembering the Rockpile
Buffalo’s downtown stadium has been known by many names: Charles E. Roesch Memorial Stadium, Civic Stadium, War Memorial Stadium, the Rockpile. The following are photos from The News’ archives spanning the life of the stadium, from construction through demolition and modern day.
Remembering the Rockpile
1938: Buffalo's Civic Stadium, much as it appeared a decade later, from the air.
Remembering the Rockpile
April 1, 1960: "Civic Stadium won't be ready for the start of the baseball season, but a second 'opening day' for the Bisons is scheduled May 16 when work is finished."
Remembering the Rockpile
May 21, 1960: "Civic Stadium, looking more and more like a baseball park: The outfield fence is now up, establishing the distances to all home-run barriers. Right field is, of course, the shortest, but that 30-foot-high screen (broken line) makes it a little tougher to put the ball into the stands. This view looks from the Jefferson Avenue end of stadium. Those are new field boxes along the first-base line."
Remembering the Rockpile
Aug. 5, 1961: "Pete Van Duleski looks toward where the first home run went out of stadium."
Remembering the Rockpile
May 9, 1962: An International League game in War Memorial Stadium.
Remembering the Rockpile
The old War Memorial Stadium, shown during a Bisons game: The last home in Buffalo itself to the Bills.
Remembering the Rockpile
Dec. 30, 1963: "The 33,044 in the Stadium Saturday, who now must wait till next year," reads the caption accompanying the photo.
Remembering the Rockpile
Oct. 23, 1964: "Steel rises 130 feet above Dodge Street for the 7,700-seat addition to War Memorial Stadium, which will increase its seating capacity to 43,000. The new high-level covered section will stretch from end zone to end zone."
Remembering the Rockpile
June 15, 1965: "The new $1.4 million section rising above War Memorial Stadium is 90 percent completed and is expected to be fully done by Aug. 1. Installation of seats, in progress today, will be finished in two or three weeks."
Remembering the Rockpile
Sept. 11, 1967: "Record 45,748 in War Memorial Stadium Sunday for Bills-Jets game: Another all-time record for professional football in Buffalo was set Sunday when 45,748 fans filled just about every square inch of War Memorial Stadium. This panoramic view was made by News Staff Photographer Richard W. Roeller, who made three separate negatives with a Nikon F. 35mm camera. The composite was made by News Chief Artist Barney Drees."
Remembering the Rockpile
Sept. 7, 1969: The stadium from the outside.
Remembering the Rockpile
Dec. 10, 1972: Fans bid farewell to the Rockpile at the Bills' final game in War Memorial Stadium.
Remembering the Rockpile
Dec. 10, 1972: Rowdy fans bring down a goal post at the end of the Buffalo Bills-Detroit Lions game. It was the Bills' last game in the Rockpile.
Remembering the Rockpile
Feb. 28, 1976: War Memorial Stadium.
Remembering the Rockpile
Feb. 28, 1976: "Memories of the Bills days linger at Gate 2 off Best Street."
Remembering the Rockpile
Sept. 9, 1989: "Ceremonial sledgehammers were working on tearing down War Memorial Stadium Thursday, but now wrecking balls and hackhammers are gnawing away at the Dodge Street entrance. The stadium will be torn down in a $5.9 million project and replaced with a new recreation complex."
Remembering the Rockpile
Oct. 4, 1989: "War Memorial's grandstands and field grudgingly yield to the wrecking crews."
Remembering the Rockpile
Oct. 4, 1989: "Officials walk through the only breach made so far in the Rockpile's tough wall."
Remembering the Rockpile
July 18, 1990: "A section of War Memorial Stadium stands forlornly amid rubble and inaction."
Remembering the Rockpile
July 10, 2014: The last remaining traces of the Rockpile can be seen in Johnnie B. Wiley Stadium.
Erik Brady takes a look back at the names of stadiums that the Buffalo Bills have called home since their birth, in 1960.
On a cold Thursday morning in February 1979, Mayor James D. Griffin held a news conference announcing the return of pro ball in Buffalo.