For 106 years, Wrigley Field has been a landmark on the North Side of Chicago.
Now it has finally earned national status.
The Chicago Cubs announced Thursday that Wrigley Field was designated as a National Historical Landmark by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. Wrigley became eligible for landmark status in 1987, and the Ricketts family, which has owned the Cubs since 2009, first applied for that status in 2013.
“Wrigley Field is a special place in the hearts of generations of fans,” Cubs executive chairman Tom Ricketts said in a statement. “That’s why, from our first day as owners, we committed to preserving Wrigley, which will now take its well-earned place in the lineup of American history and culture as a national treasure.”
With Wrigley now a national landmark, the Ricketts family can take advantage of federal income tax credits on its “1060 Project” that has seen the owners spend close to $1 billion to renovate the stadium and the surrounding neighborhood since 2014.
The Cubs have called Wrigley home since 1916, when it was still known as Weeghman Park. The name was changed to Wrigley in 1926.
“The historical significance of Wrigley Field is interwoven into our nation’s story,” Bernhardt said in a statement, “and a key part of what has become America’s beloved pastime for over a century. It is with great enthusiasm that I designate this iconic national treasure, the site of many legendary events, innovations and traditions in baseball history, as a National Historic Landmark.”
Fenway Park in Boston is the only other Major League Baseball stadium with National Historic Landmark status.
