Bowdoin College’s Whittier Field Athletic Complex has been entered in the National Register of Historic Places, according to Kirk F. Maloney, the director of the Maine Historic Preservation Commission.

The designation indicates the complex is worthy of preservation and protection as part of the nation’s cultural heritage, according to a press release from the Maine Historic Preservation Committee.

Whittier Field is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places at the local level under the category of Entertainment and Recreation, as a collegiate athletic facility and under the category of architecture, and as a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction, said the release.

The grouping of the three major components — field, grandstand and gate — along with related secondary elements — goal posts, scoreboard and the flagpole — creates an identifiable historic district at the local level, said the release.

The athletic complex includes Whittier Field, built in 1896, Hubbard Grandstand, dating to 1904, and the Class of 1903 Memorial Gate built in 1928, a related group of facilities developed for intercollegiate football and track and field competitions at Bowdoin College.

Hubbard Grandstand was designed by English-born Boston architect Henry Vaughan and the Class of 1903 Memorial Gate was designed by Bowdoin graduate and Lewiston architect Harry S. Coombs.

The period of significance is 1896 to 1967, extending from the construction date of the earliest contributing element of the complex until 50 years before the present.

In May, the Brunswick Planning Board approved a multi-million-dollar plan for the college to renovate the field and extend its nighttime use. The first phase of the project includes replacing the existing grass field with artificial turf and adding lights, seating, and a new press box, along with an expansion of the current six-lane track to the eight lanes required to host championship track meets. It also includes a restoration of the original footprint of Hubbard

Grandstand through the removal of bleachers that were added over the years to the perimeter of the structure.

The complex was the site of an Olympic training camp that brought Bruce Jenner, Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter and other U.S. Olympic track teammates to train on Magee Track before departing for the 1972 Munich Olympics. The track was rededicated the Magee- Samuelson Track in 2005 in honor of 1984 Olympic marathon champion Joan Benoit Samuelson, a Maine native and Bowdoin graduate of the class of 1979. Samuelson captured the gold medal at the first women’s marathon at the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles.