History - Elworthy Field

Local history shows us that Elworthy Field has always been a hub for Grosse Pointers looking for a pleasant place to gather, play, and compete. For 100 years this property has been used as a public square, and the funding for the property was coordinated by many of Grosse Pointe’s most revered community leaders.

Elworthy was never operated or funded in the same way that our municipalities operate our beautiful, gated waterfront parks. Instead, Elworthy Field is nestled into the heart of our community and open to all who visit, making it a valuable and accessible community asset.

We are 100 years from the original donation of the Land, and it is clear that Elworthy Field again needs Grosse Pointe benefactors and residents to come together and prioritize the improvement of this valuable park.

Elworthy Field Timeline:

1920’s:

• Dexter M. Ferry, Jr. donated 8 acres of land on Waterloo, between St. Clair and Neff, to the Neighborhood Club.
• The Neighborhood Club used this land to build a community center and gymnasium (pictured below). This building sat on top of the land that is currently home to the tot lot and tennis courts.

1930’s & 1940’s:

• During the Depression the Neighborhood Club’s building (pictured above) was the public welfare center for the area, with the Club administering federal and county emergency relief act programs.
• The Detroit Lions used Elworthy Field for football practices.
• Neighborhood Club’s Rotary Keeno parties attracted thousands to visit the property.
• 2 Platform Tennis Courts were built at the property.

1950’s:

• Tennis boomed in the Pointes and the courts at Elworthy became the site of one of the premier junior tennis development programs.
• The Athletic Fields became extremely popular and were used “every available minute.”

1960’s:

• The Helen Newberry Joy Fund purchased the Elworthy Field property and gave it to the Grosse Pointe Board of Education, which later became known as GPPSS.
• The old community center building, pictured above, was deemed unsafe and demolished in 1966, but the outdoor athletic fields were still used for baseball, soccer, tennis and other activities.

1970’s & 1980’s:

• The Neighborhood Club built a smaller building on the south side of Waterloo and continued collaborating with GPPSS to jointly program and manage the athletic fields at Elworthy Field.
• The Grosse Pointe Field Use Committee was created to represent community groups that shared public facilities and ensured safe, high-quality playing fields for participants. Program attendance flourished with 17,000 participants.

1990’s & 2000’s:

• The community commissioned a Recreation Master Plan and Neighborhood Club Strategic Plan to address community needs.
• Local leaders coordinate with GPPSS and City of GP to build 2 new platform tennis courts at Elworthy Field, nestled next to the larger tennis court complex.
• Discussions were held with the City of Grosse Pointe and other community stakeholders to brainstorm the design of a new Neighborhood Club building on the south side of Waterloo.

2010’s:

• The new/current building opened on the south side of Waterloo, and the Neighborhood Club continued offering recreational programs and leagues at Elworthy Field.
• Local tennis leaders raised funds to replace 4 of the courts and resurface the other 6 courts.

Today/Current:

• The Elworthy Field property is owned by the Grosse Pointe Public School System (GPPSS).
• GPPSS leases the entire property to the City of Grosse Pointe. The lease expires in 2030 but has been in place for decades.
• Per the Lease, Elworthy Field is to be managed by the City, and the City is responsible for operational costs and small repairs. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department is directly responsible for these duties.
• Per the Lease, the City and GPPSS must split major repairs and capital costs evenly, with each party paying for 50% of the value of the work.
• The City of Grosse Pointe does not have a dedicated operational budget to fund operations or repairs at Elworthy Field.
• Instead, in the larger Parks and Recreation Department’ budget the City budgets $4,000 for tennis court repairs (10 courts) and $4,000 for platform tennis court repairs (2 courts).