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When Did Red Sox Build Green Monster? The History of Fenway Park's Iconic Wall originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Fenway Park is one of the most iconic stadiums in all of sports. From the statues outside of the stadium to the lone red seat in right field that marks the spot of Ted Williams' legendary home run, you can feel the history all around the venue.
That list also includes the Green Monster, of course. Fenway Park's wall in left field has served as the backdrop for some of the most unforgettable games in franchise history, and the addition of "Monster Seats" in 2003 gave Red Sox fans an incredible view of the action.
But the Green Monster had a much different look when it was first built in the early 1900s.
When did Red Sox build Green Monster?
The Green Monster was built in 1912 as part of Fenway Park's initial construction. Knowing that any routine fly ball would easily sail onto Lansdowne Street, Red Sox owner John I. Taylor built a massive, 37-foot barrier out of sheer necessity. It was originally designed just to keep baseballs in the park and non-paying onlookers out.
For the first stretch of its existence, the Green Monster's actual color was closer to dark blue than green. Following a devastating fire and subsequent stadium renovation in 1934, the structure featured giant advertisements ranging from Calvert Whiskey to Gem Razor Blades. To everyone in Boston, it was simply known as "The Wall."
The current nickname was finally born in 1947 when the Red Sox decided to strip away the advertisements. Looking to give the stadium a clean, unified aesthetic, they changed the color to the instantly recognizable green. Combined with its reputation for eating home runs and turning deep fly balls into long singles, sportswriters and players naturally began referring to it as a "monster."
The wall evolved one last time in 2003 when the home-run catching net was removed from the top to install the famous "Monster Seats."
Green Monster dimensions
Here are the official numbers for the Green Monster:
| Dimension | Measurement |
| Height | 37 feet |
| Length | 231 feet (228 feet in fair territory) |
| Distance from home to left field | 310 feet |
| Distance from home to left-center field | 379 feet |
| Seating capacity | 269 |
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