Rose Hill Gymnasium
About This Listing
Place Details
- Borough: Bronx
- Neighborhood: Fordham
- Categories: Education, Institution
Place Matters Profile
Nominations
Joe DiBari (Fordham University)
Fordham University’s Rose Hill Gymnasium is the oldest gym still used by an NCAA Division One team. Since its opening in 1925, the building has undergone renovations including new windows, scoreboards and the addition of electricity and phone lines to the press box. It was used as a barracks during World War II and now hosts summer basketball camps in addition to its school year use. Yet the original floor remains, as does the basic architecture of the space. Fans still sit close to the court, forcing teams and coaches to interact with their audience, and the acoustics are unparalleled. Nicknamed “the Prairie” when built due to its expansive floor space, though the 2100 seat facility appears increasingly small as the years pass. Fordham athletes and alumni have remained loyal to their increasingly unique, old-fashioned gymnasium, in spite of, or perhaps because of its quirks.
