Wharton Field House

Wharton Field House is a historic arena located at 1800 20th Avenue in Moline, Illinois. It opened in 1928. It has hosted professional teams, high school teams, concerts, and other events in its history. The 7000 (approx) seat Field House is adjacent to Browning Field, which has served as a baseball, football and track venue. Today, both Wharton Field House and Browing Field continue to serve as the home for Moline High School athletic teams. In 2004, USA Today named Wharton field House one of the top places to watch high school basketball.

The building is named for Theodore Finley Wharton. In the 1920s, T. F. Wharton was President of the Moline High School Athletic Booster Club and organized a group seeking to raise funds for construction of a field house. The group was named the Maroon and White Association. The field house would be adjacent to Browning Field (opened 1912) and host Moline Maroon teams. The Maroon and White Association eventually raised the necessary total of $175,000, aided by the sale of 620 $50 bonds, 100 $100 bonds and numerous bonds of higher value. The building was subsequently designed by local architect William Schulzke and completed in 1928. Originally named Moline Field House it was then named after T. F. Wharton in 1941.

The facility opened with a basketball game between Moline high School and Kewanee High School on December 21, 1928.

The facility received a new floor surface in 2015. The original floor had remained in place from 1928 until 1997, when it was first replaced. 7000 square feet of flooring was installed with mechanical ventilation.

National Basketball Association: Wharton Field House was the beginning site for today's Atlanta Hawks, as well as a coaching stop of the legendary Basketball Hall of Fame Coach Red Auerbach. Wharton Field House was home to the NBA's Tri-Cities Blackhawks from 1946 until 1951. Under owner Ben Kerner, the franchise started in 1946 as the Buffalo Bisons, before relocating mid-season to the Tri-Cities (now called Quad Cities) area after only 13 total games. Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame player William Pop Gates was on the 1946–47 Blackhawks, helping to integrate the league. Gates would become the first African-American coach in a major league in 1948.Don Otten was league MVP for the Blackkhawks in 1947–48. In 1950, Kerner drafted Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame player Bob Cousy in the 1st round, (#4) before trading him to the Chicago Stags, who then traded him to the Boston Celtics and Auerbach. Cousy was reportedly unhappy to go to a small market and demanded $10,000 to sign with the Blackhawks. Kerner countered with $6,000 and then made the trade with the Stags. Cousy would play in 13 consecutive All-Star games, win MVP honors in 1957 and play point guard on six Championship Celtic teams. After a 24-44 season in 1950–51, Kerner relocated the franchise to a larger market and the team became the Milwaukee Hawks. Two time NBA All Star Frankie Brian was the leading scorer on the 1950–51 Hawks during their last season in Moline. Eventually Kerner moved the Milwaukee Hawks to St. Louis in 1955. The St. Louis Hawks made the NBA Finals three times against Auerbach and the Celtics, winning the Championship in the 1958 NBA Finals. The Hawks would eventually settle in Atlanta in 1968 when Kerner sold the franchise.

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