First Game of Basketball - Springfield, MA - First of its Kind on Waymarking.com

Basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, an instructor at the YMCA training school in Springfield, which is now Springfield College. The school was located at Mason Square in Springfield. In 1894, the college move to its present location about one mile south. The original building in which the game was played has long since been demolished.

In August 2010, a memorial to the first game of basketball was erected on the exact site of the old YMCA training school. Set in a circular base representing a basketball, a statue of an adult bounce passing a basketball to a young boy. On the outside of the circle are a series of etched glass panels describing the development of the game of basketball from 1891 to the present.

The etched words on the large glass panels are somewhat difficult to read and photograph, especially in bright sun. The confirming portion of the panel that describes the first game is etched as follows:

{Picture of the original building}
The original building where the sport of basketball was invented.

The Original Site

The first game of basketball was played in what is now Mason Square
in a small gymnasium in a building owned and operated by the School For Christian Workers, now Springfield College.

FIRST - Classification Variable: Item or Event Date of FIRST: 12/29/1891 More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]

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