The Jersey City Armory is an armory for the U.S. Army National Guard at 678 Montgomery Street in the McGinley Square neighborhood in Jersey City, New Jersey . Completed in 1937, the armory was designed by chief architect General Hugh A. Kelly of the Jersey City firm of Kelly and Gruzen in the Beaux-Arts style. In addition to being a military training and mustering facility of the New Jersey National Guard (New Jersey National Guard 2/113 Infantry 250 Jersey City), the WPA era armory has long been used as a sports arena , particularly for boxing , basketball , and track and field events, and more recently mixed martial arts .
31-461: Under the auspices of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs , the armory is leased to the city for community and political events and extracurricular sports programs. It has also been used as a film studio . The current armory was built to replace the previous Fourth Regiment Armory which was located on McGinley Square at Bergen Avenue, Mercer Street, and Tuers Avenue,
62-469: A St. Peter's Preparatory School and Fordham University graduate who died in an accident and as an organ donor , was able to assist four people after his death. Prior to the opening of the Yanitelli Center on its nearby campus in 1975, Saint Peter's University hosted its home games at the armory. Since the armory's renovation in the mid-2000s, Saint Peter's has hosted several high-profile games at
93-670: A new running track, basketball court, upgraded lighting and a new four sided center hung scoreboard. The second phase saw new restrooms on the first floor and upper level along with two new locker rooms and new operable windows on the Montgomery Street side of the facility. In 2010, the State of New Jersey spent $ 105,000 to repair the sidewalks around the armory. The New Jersey National Guard maintains 64 armories within 46 communities as part of New Jersey Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. Some are used for non-military activities, such as
124-511: A newspaper decision win over Lew Tendler . Luis Ángel Firpo earned a title shot at Dempsey by knocking out ex-champion Jess Willard in the eighth round before a paid attendance of 75,712 on July 12, 1923. Firpo had less luck in 1924 when he was defeated by Harry Wills before 70,000 fans. Other notable fighters to have fought in Boyle's Thirty Acres were Tiger Flowers , Paul Berlenbach , and James J Braddock By 1927, most major title bouts in
155-494: A parcel of land owned by John P. Boyle, a paper box manufacturer. The site was once the home of the Jersey City baseball team. The actual size of Boyle's land was 34 acres (140,000 m ). The octagonal structure was built using 2,250,000 feet (690,000 m) of lumber . The arena covered 300,000 square feet (28,000 m ) and during construction had the services of 500 carpenters and 400 laborers. C.S. and J.W. Edwards were
186-532: A portion of the entrance façade from the previous armory was erected at Pershing Field park in the Jersey City Heights . Opening in 1937, the armory was constructed between 1934 and 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project during the Great Depression along with the city's other premier sports venue, the since demolished Roosevelt Stadium . The armory was designed by General Hugh A. Kelly, who
217-669: Is a governmental department of the state of New Jersey . It is composed of the New Jersey Army National Guard as well as the New Jersey Air National Guard . They are administered by the Adjutant General and staff which oversees the activities of the two. This includes the Disasters and Emergency Services Division and Veterans Affairs Division. The department is the official channel of communication between
248-592: Is a joint federal-state program put in place for the Governor and the President respectively. This program keeps military organizations equipped, trained, and ready to counter such situations. They also cooperate with and manage state and federal agencies in order to provide services for discharged veterans and their families. This United States military article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Boyle%27s Thirty Acres Boyle's Thirty Acres
279-496: Is located at street level and features rows of seating on two sides of the facility. The basement features eight company rooms and several equipment storage rooms. Additionally, there are two mezzanine floors with four company rooms and flex space. Construction was completed in February 1936 at a construction cost of $ 1,038,276 and a total project cost of $ 1,098,330. In 1987 and 1998, the armory underwent renovations to create space for
310-664: The Cinderella Man , Sonny Liston , and Chuck Wepner , aka the Bayonne Bleeder . In a 1979 fund raiser for the Jersey City Medical Center then Mayor of Jersey City , Thomas F. X. Smith , challenged Muhammad Ali to an exhibition bout, and went three rounds before a crowd of 8,000. In 2010, the first fight card in three decades returned to the Armory with the mixed martial arts Urban Conflict Championship . Trials for
341-559: The Hackensack River from the Lincoln Highway Hackensack River Bridge which they were not informed had been opened. Along with traditional bagpipes , Buddhist monks participated in the ceremony, reflecting Nguyen's Vietnamese-American background. In October and November 2012, the armory served as an emergency shelter for hundreds of Jersey City residents that were displaced after Hurricane Sandy struck
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#1732855215829372-591: The Port Authority Bus Terminal are available on local streets or at the transit center. The armory is directly served by the 9 NJ Transit Bus route outside the main entrance on Montgomery Street. On-site parking is not available, but several lots are within walking distance. 40°43′29″N 74°3′55″W / 40.72472°N 74.06528°W / 40.72472; -74.06528 New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
403-538: The Teaneck Armory , which was home to the former New Jersey Nets in their first season. Both the former and current armories in Jersey City have played an important role in Hudson County and New Jersey 's pugilist past, which includes the 1921 Dempsey – Carpentier world heavyweight championship at Boyle's Thirty Acres . The current armory has hosted many bouts, including those with James J. Braddock , aka
434-511: The World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Cup 2011 took place in February 2011. Professional wrestling events produced by Jersey All Pro Wrestling have taken place in the arena as well. The arena has hosted countless basketball games over the years, including those played by the former St. Anthony High School , ten-time winners of New Jersey's Tournament of Champions and considered the winningest high school basketball program with
465-620: The federal government and the New Jersey state government on military matters. The New Jersey State Guard , along with the New Jersey Army National Guard and the New Jersey Naval Militia , is also recognized as a component of the organized militia of New Jersey. The State Guard was last active during World War II. The Naval Militia was last active from 1999 to 2002. In case of a state or national emergency, there
496-454: The Armory has led to it being used as a temporary studio for many projects, including Chazz Palminteri 's A Bronx Tale , the Faye Dunaway thriller Eyes Of Laura Mars , Laura Brannigan 's music video "Self-Control" , Woody Allen 's Deconstructing Harry , Terry Kinney 's Diminished Capacity , A Perfect Murder by Andrew Davis ., and Jim Jarmusch 's, Ghost Dog: The Way of
527-545: The Jersey City Youth Center to sponsor more youth services at the facility. The renovations sought to include a variety of educational and self-development programs in a safe environment. Between 2005 and 2009 the armory underwent a two-phase $ 5.7 million renovation funded by the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to turn the facility into a modern sports arena. The first phase included
558-568: The New York area were being held either at Yankee Stadium or the Polo Grounds. Rickard announced that the wooden arena would be demolished and in June 1927 the wrecking ball brought the short history of Boyle's Thirty Acres to an end. By 1952, the site of Boyle's Thirty Acres had become a Jersey City housing project named Montgomery Gardens. After over 50 years of use, the project began to be emptied and
589-501: The New York area. Homeless individuals went to the armory before the hurricane hit and were able to seek shelter. The 108th Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst provided services such as sleeping cots, shower locations, food and security for the displaced residents. In November 2022, the armory hosted Art Fair 14C , the largest visual arts event in New Jersey . The floor space and height of
620-751: The Samurai (1999). The armory is located in the McGinley Square neighborhood of the Journal Square district in Jersey City. Nearby landmarks include the historic Art Deco Beacon residential complex, Hudson Catholic Regional High School, Saint Peter's University and Old Bergen Church . The nearby Journal Square Transportation Center provides direct connections via the PATH rapid transit system to Newark , Harrison , Downtown Jersey City , Hoboken and Manhattan . Bus connections to points in Hudson County and to
651-642: The arena. On November 25, 2007, the Saint Peter's Peacocks took on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the first game Saint Peter's had played at the armory since 1975. The Peacocks defeated the Scarlet Knights 65–58. On December 13, 2008, Saint Peter's hosted the Seton Hall Pirates men's and women's basketball teams in an afternoon double header as part of Saint Peter's Hall of Fame Day. This
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#1732855215829682-408: The armory was the site of memorial service for deceased Jersey City mayor Glenn Dale Cunningham attended by 5,000, and where in 2007 his wife Sandra Bolden Cunningham launched her political career. In 2006, a funeral attended by thousands took place at the armory for Jersey City Police officer Robert Nguyen. He and his partner, Shawn Carson, had died on December 25 after their patrol car plunged in
713-430: The contractors. Construction started on April 28, 1921 and was completed a few days before the fight. The arena was initially due to hold 50,000 fans. However, the demand for the international extravaganza was so enormous that Rickard had to expand the arena to hold a capacity of around 80,000 to 90,000 fans. It had the greatest seating capacity of any amphitheatre ever built. In the contest between Dempsey and Carpentier,
744-470: The current site of Hudson Catholic Regional High School . It had been built in 1895 and was designed in the Richardson Romanesque style which was popular at the time for commercial, industrial and educational institutions. In the early hours of June 17, 1927, a large three-alarm fire swept through the entire facility and destroyed the structure. In 1941, the large archway and turrets that served as
775-465: The most championships in United States history. The school's long-time Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach, Bob Hurley , was instrumental in bringing about the renewal of the basketball court and other renovations to the armory. Since 2005, the annual Dan Finn Classic, a day long tournament of high school basketball games, has taken place at the armory. The event is in memory of Dan Finn,
806-589: The promoter of the bout, initially wanted the fight to take place at the Polo Grounds in New York City. However, Nathan Lewis Miller , the governor of New York , opposed prizefighting and indicated that he did not want a Dempsey-Carpentier bout to be held in New York State. After a number of offers from other promoters, Rickard settled on a proposal from Frank Hague , the mayor of Jersey City. Hague obtained
837-502: The second story of the three protruding pavilions. On the Montgomery Street façade, "New Jersey National Guard" is engraved in a strip of stone. The main entryway fronts Jordan Avenue and features a large retractable iron gate. The roof of the armory spans the 175,000 square-feet interior making it the largest armory in New Jersey. The interior of the armory was designed to accommodate two medical units, one battalion each of infantry and engineers and one naval militia division. The drill hall
868-553: The strength and power of Dempsey was too much for the Frenchman, who was knocked out in the fourth round, with a broken thumb. Boyle's Thirty Acres was used for a number of boxing cards after the Dempsey–Carpentier bout. On Labor Day, 1921, Rickard promoted a card headlined by four champions - Johnny Wilson , Panama Joe Gans Mike McTigue and Johnny Buff . On July 27, 1922, the lightweight champion Benny Leonard recorded
899-469: Was a friend of former Jersey City mayor Frank Hague . Hugh Clark, a graduate of Cooper Union and a Jersey City resident, was appointed by General Kelly to execute the project with J.K. Harris-Smith who was a fellow Jersey City architect. The exterior of the three story Beaux-Arts structure features English Renaissance details with a brick walled exterior and terra cotta trim above a granite base. Three terra cotta panels featuring military insignia are on
930-480: Was a large wooden bowl arena in Jersey City, New Jersey . It was built specifically for the world heavyweight championship bout between Jack Dempsey of the United States and Georges Carpentier of France on July 2, 1921. It held approximately 80,000 fans and was built at a cost of $ 250,000. It was situated around Montgomery Street and Cornelison Avenue, on a plot of marshland owned by John F. Boyle. Tex Rickard ,
961-522: Was the second straight game for the Peacocks men's basketball team at the armory and the first-ever game for the Peacocks women's basketball team at the armory. The Pirates would go on to win both games over the Peacocks. Saint Peter's held their 2008 Hall of Fame Inductee ceremony during half time of the men's game. The armory also hosts several local, regional, and state ( New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association ) track meets annually. In 2004,