The Red Sox moved to Fenway Park from the old Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds. In 1911, owner John I. Taylor purchased the land bordered by Brookline Avenue, Jersey Street, Van Ness Street and Lansdowne Street and developed it into a larger baseball stadium.
Taylor claimed the name Fenway Park came from its location in the Fenway neighborhood of Boston, which was partially created late in the nineteenth century by filling in marshland or "fens", to create the Back Bay Fens urban park.
However, given that Taylor's family also owned the Fenway Realty Company, the promotional value of the naming at the time has been cited as well. Like many classic ballparks,
Fenway Park was constructed on an asymmetrical block, with consequent asymmetry in its field dimensions.
The first game was played April 20, 1912, with mayor John F. Fitzgerald threw out the first pitch and Boston defeated the New York Highlanders (renamed the Yankees the next year), 7-6 in 11 innings.
Newspaper coverage of the opening was overshadowed by continuing coverage of the Titanic sinking a few days earlier.
Attendance at the park has not always been great, and reached its low point late in the 1965 season with two games having paid attendance under 500 spectators. Its fortunes have risen since the Red Sox' 1967 "Impossible Dream" season.
On September 8, 2008 with a game versus the Tampa Bay Rays, Fenway Park broke the all-time Major League record with its 456th consecutive sellout, surpassing the previous record held by Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) in Cleveland, Ohio.
On Wednesday, June 17, 2009 the park celebrated its 500th consecutive Red Sox sellout. According to WBZ-TV, the team joined three NBA teams which achieved 500 consecutive home sellouts.
Former pitcher Bill Lee has called Fenway Park "a shrine". Today, the park is considered to be one of the most well-known sports venues in the world.
The Green Monster at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox in Boston. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
The Splendid Splinter statue outside Fenway Park on Ipswich Street and the number 9 wore by Hall of Famer Ted Williams. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
A view of from the upper level of Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox in Boston, Massachusetts on July 24, 2009. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
Batting Practice before the baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
Members of the Anaheim Angels check out the Green Monster at Fenway Park in Boston. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
During batting practice, fans posed with the Ted Williams red seat in right field. Williams hit the longest home run in Fenway, measuring 502 feet, in 1946. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
View from the seat that Ted Williams hit the longest home run in Fenway that measured 502 feet in 1946. The area is called Williamsburg. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
Green Monster directions painted on a wall at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox in Boston. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
The bleacher seats in center and right field are seen from on top of the green monster seats. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
Young fans gather on top of the Red Sox dugout seeking autographs from the players. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
Red Sox outfielder Jason Bay guards the Green Monster in left field. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
The Green Monster is in full view as the Baltimore Orioles take batting practice. (Gordon Donovan)
The scoreboard in center field in Fenway Park. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
Three hours before game time, the area teems with fans waiting for the ballpark to open. Hundreds line up outside the gates for the bleacher entrances. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
A view of Fenway Park from Landsdowne Street in Boston. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
One drawback of Fenway's old-time charm: The seats are cramped and were made for people in 1912. While the majority of the seats are new, they have kept the original wooden seats in several sections. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
They like to mention their early and most recent successes, along with some Yankee bashing by the tour guides. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
The Green Monster at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox in Boston. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
The seating signs on top of the Green Monster and the foul pole made famous by Carlton Fisk. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
They walked us around the park down to the field level and talked about the ballpark's history and changes made in recent years. Here's a view from down the left field line. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
A dramtic sunset at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox in Boston. (Photo: Gordon Donovan)
Ballpark: A - Old historical ballpark in the middle of a neighborhood. Had to purchase tickets on Stub Hub for $210.00. Wait for the day of the game and then check Stub Hub - prices decrease. Unless you want to wait three hours before the game time for bleacher seats in the outfield.
Fans & Atmosphere: A - Great place to watch a game, great charm, energy and intimacy. Not really a bad seat except if you are behind a steel girder and anyone over six feet tall. Like a scene from a college football game, people are there hours before the game starts.
Food: D - 1912 baseball menu, bring your own food or eat before you come in. Didn’t enjoy sausage and peppers, the popcorn was too salty. Lemonade was not very good. $18.00 for purchases.
Mascot: C - Wally the Green Monster. He's big and cute, he should have been setting a Yankee jersey on fire.
Staff: C - Ushers and helpful security staff. Food vendors are like the food they serve, a little salty. Mentioned I was from New York to one staff member and was told to get out of town.
Team Tradition: A - Red Sox Nation, proud of recent championships and ball park. Crazy about the Red Sox, never seen this energy for baseball before.
Photos taken July 24, 2009, using a Canon EOS 50D Digital SLR with a EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Standard lens and a PowerShot SD970 IS Digital Camera.