These photos chronicle Princeton Stadium construction during May-August 1997. Click on any of the previews to see a larger image.

During the Spring and early Summer of 1997, bulldozers lumbered across over what was once Palmer Stadium's playing field. Site preparation included installation of a drainage system for the new field.

Mounds of earth were formed into a rough horseshoe, reminiscent of the previous stadium's outline. These views are from Jadwin Gym; on the right, you can sight right up the midfield line.

From Western Way near Clarke Field, you can see where the east (visitors) concourse will be.

By early July, the first recognizable feature appeared in the southwest corner: a support for the lower home stands; this will be one of the two walls of a tunnel leading to the Princeton locker room and the track. The view on the right from Jadwin Gym shows part of this tunnel which will be under the west concourse as well as the track's grandstands.

A construction worker checks the metal rebar in the southwest corner of the lower home stands. Presumably, this stadium will last longer than its predecessor. On the right is a look at the entire site, from Peyton Hall.

Work on the east (visitors) stands has also begun. A wood form hints at the profile of the concrete being poured to form a support for the lower visitors stands.

On the left is a closer look at what will be the foundation for one of the upper home stands' supports, at approximately the fifty-yard line. On the right is the same spot two weeks later, shortly before the concrete support is poured.

In the southeast corner, more supports join the first. These supports are only used at the southeast and southwest corners of the stadium, where tunnel entrances to the field level must pass under the lower deck. The lower deck on the north, east, and west sides of the stadium will simply rest on the sloped ground. On the south side, the stadium's lower deck will be back-to-back with the seating for the track. A few weeks later, Princeton Stadium's first seats are installed; they are sections 42 and 43.

The outline of the track begins to take shape. (The disjointed appearance in the middle is the result of gluing two photos together to form the panorama; it doesn't reflect any unusual seismic activity in Princeton!)

Construction of bleachers for the track begins at the west end. These begin as poured concrete supports with a "staircase" profile, then the concrete seating is lowered into place.

From Jadwin Gym, you can see the seating for the track extend rapidly from west to east. The triangular shapes behind the track bleachers are the backs of the football stadium's lower stands. On the right, you can see a closer view of that detail.

Here's a closer view of a section of the track bleachers, showing how the concrete seats are dropped into place on the staircase-like supports. The pre-formed horizontal concrete members are trucked in, and are lowered into place by cranes.

In August, the track takes shape rapidly (left), while supports multiply for the southeast corner of the football stadium's lower deck.