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

September marks the start of the horseshoe-shaped wall that will surround the stadium. Work begins at the southwest corner; the view on the left is from between Jadwin Hall and the Armory. On the right is the same area seen from the Armory. At this point in the construction, you can see the "wall" is actually a shell; this section houses long ramps spectators may use to reach the top.

From Caldwell Field House, you can see the track (in the foreground) has been paved. Sod fills the field enclosed by the track, and the first section of the horseshoe-shaped wall is visible in the distance (closeup on the right).

The outside wall is composed of long vertical stone slabs which are trucked in, picked up by a crane, then lowered into place; below you can see the process from the point-of-view of a crane operator. The wall grows rapidly; the first section containing the ramps rapidly extends north.

A wooden form laced with rebar marks the location of the next support for the home stands. A whole series of these Y-shaped supports are in various stages of completion on both the home and visitors' sides. These will support the upper deck, house the portals to that deck, and also will incorporate stairs.

After the concrete is poured, the wooden forms are stripped away revealing the Y-shaped support. The rightmost view is from Jadwin Hall looking east across the site. Beyond the concrete support you can see a low concrete wall; that's the front of the visitors' side, where the lower deck meets the field. Barely visible at right are seats from the lower deck beginning to curve around from the south end. In the distance are more wooden forms for supports along the visitors' side.

From the northwest corner you can see clear across to the northeast corner, and beyond to the first section of the outside wall. In the background is the white roof of the Armory, and stretching below you is the future football field. The photo on the right shows a closer view of where the "good" seats soon will be. The low concrete wall is the front of the home stands, where the lower deck meets the field. Except where it passes over the two tunnel entrances or abuts the track's seating, the lower deck will rest upon a bed of gravel; the ground has been graded to create a "bowl" shape to contain the seats.

An aeriel view from the Fine/Jadwin complex in early October shows most of the south stands in place, while the remainder of the football field plays host to construction vehicles. In the close-up on the right, you can see the supports that will hold the lower stands as they curve over a tunnel entrance and toward the visitors side.

From the same position, you can see that the lower deck along the south end of the stadium is essentially complete. On your left is a slope that will soon support the visitors lower deck.

Near the Armory, the first section of the outside horseshoe-shaped wall has reached its full height. Inside are a series of ramps leading to the top. Looking north from this point you can see the next few sections of the wall define the boundary of the home concourse; they haven't reached their full height yet. Peeking out above these wall sections are the wishbone-shaped metal bars that will help support the upper deck. The concrete brace on the ground is one of those waiting to be installed on these bars; the serated edge on the concrete base will accept the seats of the upper deck.

Work on the track continues; another layer of surfacing is added, and the central oval has been filled with sod. The seats are done; behind them is the back of the football stadium's south stands. In the distance is the beginning of the visitors side of the horseshoe-shaped outer wall.