Chicago park and boulevard system

Last updated
Chicago Boulevard System Historic District
Palmer Square Park.JPG
A Chicago Boulevards information sign in Palmer Square park -- such markers with local information are found throughout the 26 miles of the system.
Location Chicago, Illinois
Area26 linear miles
Built1869-1942
Architect Daniel Burnham, William Le Baron Jenney Jens Jensen, Frederick Law Olmsted, Calvert Vaux
NRHP reference No. 12000040
Added to NRHP2018

The historic Chicago park and boulevard system is a ring of parks connected by wide, planted-median boulevards that winds through the north, west, and south sides of the City of Chicago. Neighborhoods along this historic stretch include, Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, Lawndale, Little Village, McKinley Park, Brighton Park, Gage Park, Englewood, Back of the Yards, and Bronzeville. [1] It reaches as far west as Garfield Park and turns south east to Douglass Park. In the south, it reaches Washington Park and Jackson Park, including the Midway Plaisance, used for the 1893 World's Fair. [2] [3]

Contents

Constructed from the 1870s through 1942, in 2018 approximately 26 miles of the system was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nominated to the register as both nationally and locally significant, its national significance includes being, "the first comprehensive system of greenways for a major city in the United States." [4] : 75 

History

King Drive has two medians with trees planted in them. Parking is allowed on the side streets but not on the large central thoroughfare. Median configurations of one or two vary in different parts of the system King-Drive-01.jpg
King Drive has two medians with trees planted in them. Parking is allowed on the side streets but not on the large central thoroughfare. Median configurations of one or two vary in different parts of the system
Marshall Boulevard, in the Little Village neighborhood. A sign on the lamppost on the left says "Chicago's historic boulevards". Behind and across blvd., several large Green Ash trees once commemorating the nation's 1876 Centennial. Final ages 143, before succumbing to Emerald Ash Borers and removed in 2016. Marshall-Boulevard-Chicago-01.jpg
Marshall Boulevard, in the Little Village neighborhood. A sign on the lamppost on the left says "Chicago's historic boulevards". Behind and across blvd., several large Green Ash trees once commemorating the nation's 1876 Centennial. Final ages 143, before succumbing to Emerald Ash Borers and removed in 2016.

Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago and its developers, confronted questions concerning the provision urban parks and their relation to the city fabric. In 1849, John S. Wright, a real-estate investor, proposed an expansive system of parks connected by drives. [5] The system was authorized by Illinois state legislation in 1869. [6] The original plans foresaw a "ribbon of parks and pleasure drives encircling the city." [5] The landscaped boulevards connecting the parks were themselves conceived as places of leisure activity, parks "spun out". [7] : 11  [8] While intended as a "unified park and boulevard system", it was to be developed by separate park commissions on the north, west and south sides of the city. [5] A 2011 review describes its vision and realization:

This ambitious 26-mile system was created in response to the belief that it would not only help create healthful, accessible and livable neighborhoods, but would also spur residential real estate development in what was then the outskirts of the city. As anticipated, the park and boulevard system attracted real estate development and in the process created one of the city’s most recognizable and lasting urban features. The system is locally significant because, for the first time in Chicago, urban growth was thoughtfully planned and executed on a city-wide scale. The park and boulevard system not only provided a structure for orderly real estate development, it also provided an amenity that elevated the sophistication of the city by enriching both its visible character and its quality of life. [6] : 69 

The South Park Commission's part of the system was designed by Olmsted, Vaux & Co. The firm's principals, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, designed park and boulevard systems for Boston (its Emerald Necklace), Buffalo, and other cities. This part includes the Midway Plaisance and other areas used in the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. [6] : 64+  The south side system included boulevards to Washington Park and Sherman Park.

The West Chicago Commission's section of the system was designed by William Le Baron Jenney. [6] : 64+  Extending from Logan Square, his 1871 plan linked Humboldt, Garfield and Douglas Parks. [9]

The north-side park commission, known as the Lincoln Park Commission, failed in its plan to develop Diversey Parkway as a pleasure drive connection to the other park commissions' boulevard system. [5] Legal action against the Lincoln Park Commission prevented progress until widening Diversey Avenue to near Logan Boulevard became impractical. [10]

In 1934, the various park commissions were consolidated into the Chicago Park District. [5] Almost all of the park and boulevard system's construction was completed by 1942. [6] : 8  [8] [11] In 1959, the boulevard parts of the system were transferred from the Chicago Park District to the City of Chicago department in charge of streets -- the Park District retaining only the parks. [5] An international architectural-concept competition, Network Reset, awarded prizes in 2011 for "rethinking" the Chicago boulevards. [12] [13]

Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District

The Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District, which encompasses most of the Boulevard System, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. [14] The approved listing, stretches approximately 26 miles, including 8 parks, 19 boulevards, and 6 squares, as well as adjacent properties that preserve structures built from the 19th century to the 1940s. [4]

Part of the system had previously been designated, in 1985, as the Logan Square Boulevards Historic District, a linear historic district in the Logan Square community area of North Side, Chicago. It encompasses 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of the city's boulevard system and includes sections of Logan Boulevard, Kedzie Avenue, and Humboldt Boulevard. It also includes two parks, Logan Square and Palmer Square, which connect the boulevards. The Logan Square area boulevards pass through residential areas and are lined with homes in a variety of architectural styles. Four hundred buildings are designated "primary" and 118 are "secondary" contributing buildings in the district. [6] : 8  Some of the most common designs are sandstone Romanesque houses, gray stone Victorian houses, and brick buildings with Tudor Revival and Prairie School styles. [7] [15] [ failed verification ]

Also included in the National Register district are several parks which are individually listed historic places: [6] : 7  Garfield Park (listed in 1993), Humboldt Park (1992), Jackson Park and the Midway Plaisance (1972), Sherman Park (1990), and Washington Park (2004). [6] : 8 

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garfield Park (Chicago)</span> United States historic place

Garfield Park is a 184-acre (0.74 km2) urban park located in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on Chicago's West Side. It was designed as a pleasure ground by William LeBaron Jenney in the 1870s and is the oldest of the three original parks developed by the West Side parks commission on the Chicago park and boulevard plan. It is home to the Garfield Park Conservatory, one of the largest plant conservatories in the United States. It is also the park furthest west in the Chicago park and boulevard system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Park (Chicago)</span> Public park in Chicago, Illinois

Jackson Park is a 551.5-acre (223.2 ha) park located on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It was designed in 1871 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, then greatly remodeled in 1893 to serve as the site of the World's Columbian Exposition, making it one of the largest and most historically significant parks in the city. Some features attest to the legacy of the fair, including a Japanese garden, the Statue of TheRepublic, and the Museum of Science and Industry. As part of the Woodlawn community area, it extends along Lake Michigan and also borders the neighborhoods of Hyde Park and South Shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humboldt Park, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Humboldt Park, one of 77 designated community areas, is on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois. The Humboldt Park neighborhood is known for its dynamic social and ethnic demographic change over the years. The Puerto Rican community has identified strongly with the area since the 1970s. Humboldt Park is also the name of a 207-acre (0.8 km2) park adjacent to the community area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Le Baron Jenney</span> American architect and engineer

William Le Baron Jenney was an American architect and engineer known for building the first skyscraper in 1884.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Square, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Logan Square is an official community area, historical neighborhood, and public square on the northwest side of the City of Chicago. The Logan Square community area is one of the 77 city-designated community areas established for planning purposes. The Logan Square neighborhood, located within the Logan Square community area, is centered on the public square that serves as its namesake, located at the three-way intersection of Milwaukee Avenue, Logan Boulevard and Kedzie Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avondale, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Avondale is one of Chicago's 77 officially designated community areas. It is on the Northwest Side of the city. The northern border is Addison Street from the north branch of the Chicago River in the east to Pulaski Road in the west. The neighborhood extends further west along Belmont Avenue to the Union Pacific/Northwest Line. Its southern border is Diversey Avenue from the Union Pacific/Northwest Line to the Chicago River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Town, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

West Town, northwest of the Loop on Chicago's West Side, is one of the city's officially designated community areas. Much of this area was historically part of Polish Downtown, along Western Avenue, which was then the city's western boundary. West Town was a collection of several distinct neighborhoods and the most populous community area until it was surpassed by Near West Side in the 1960s. The boundaries of the community area are the Chicago River to the east, the Union Pacific railroad tracks to the south, the former railroad tracks on Bloomingdale Avenue to the North, and an irregular western border to the west that includes the city park called Humboldt Park. Humboldt Park is also the name of the community area to West Town's west, Logan Square is to the north, Near North Side to the east, and Near West Side to the south. The collection of neighborhoods in West Town along with the neighborhoods of Bucktown and the eastern portion of Logan Square have been referred to by some media as the "Near Northwest Side".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midway Plaisance</span> United States historic place

The Midway Plaisance, known locally as the Midway, is a public park on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is one mile long by 220 yards wide and extends along 59th and 60th streets, joining Washington Park at its west end and Jackson Park at its east end. It divides the Hyde Park community area to the north from the Woodlawn community area to the south. Near Lake Michigan, the Midway is about 6 miles (10 km) south of the downtown "Loop". The University of Chicago was founded just north of the park, and university buildings now front the Midway to the south, as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Illinois</span>

This is a list of properties and districts in Illinois that are on the National Register of Historic Places. There are over 1,900 in total. Of these, 85 are National Historic Landmarks. There are listings in all of the state's 102 counties.
     This National Park Service list is complete through NPS recent listings posted October 20, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Park (Chicago park)</span> Public park in Chicago, Illinois

Washington Park is a 372-acre (1.5 km2) park between Cottage Grove Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive, located at 5531 S. Martin Luther King Dr. in the Washington Park community area on the South Side of Chicago. It was named for President George Washington in 1880. Washington Park is the largest of four Chicago Park District parks named after persons surnamed Washington. Located in the park is the DuSable Museum of African American History. This park was the proposed site of the Olympic Stadium and the Olympic swimming venue for Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. Washington Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 20, 2004.

<i>Fountain of Time</i> Sculpture by Lorado Taft in Chicago

Fountain of Time, or simply Time, is a sculpture by Lorado Taft, measuring 126 feet 10 inches (38.66 m) in length, situated at the western edge of the Midway Plaisance within Washington Park in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The sculpture is inspired by Henry Austin Dobson's poem "Paradox of Time". Its 100 figures passing before Father Time were created as a monument to the 100 years of peace between the United States and the United Kingdom following the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. Father Time faces the 100 from across a water basin. The fountain's water was turned on in 1920, and the sculpture was dedicated in 1922. It is a contributing structure to the Washington Park United States Registered Historic District, which is a National Register of Historic Places listing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulaski Road (Chicago)</span> Major street in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Pulaski Road is a major north-south street in the city of Chicago, at 4000 W., or exactly five miles west of State Street. It is named after Polish hero of the American Revolutionary War Casimir Pulaski.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglass Park</span> Park in Illinois, United States

Douglass Park, formerly Douglas Park, is a part of the Chicago Park District on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1869 and initially named South Park, its 173 acres (0.70 km2) are in the North Lawndale community area with an official address of 1401 S. Sacramento Drive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorado Taft Midway Studios</span> United States historic place

The Lorado Taft Midway Studios are a historic artist studio complex at South Ingleside Avenue and East 60th Street, on the campus of the University of Chicago on the South Side of Chicago. The architecturally haphazard structure, originating as two converted barns and a Victorian house, was used from 1906 to 1929 as the studio of Lorado Taft (1860-1936), one of the most influential sculptors of the period. A National Historic Landmark, it now houses the university's visual arts department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humboldt Park (Chicago park)</span> United States historic place

Humboldt Park is a 207-acre (84 ha) park located at 1400 North Sacramento Avenue on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1877, and is one of the largest parks on the West Side. The park's designers include William Le Baron Jenney, and Jens Jensen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Exchange</span> United States historic place

The Green Exchange is a sustainable and green retail and office development project in the Logan Square community area of Chicago, Illinois that is designed to house eco-friendly businesses and organizations. Developers of the building have been awarded LEED Platinum status for their rehabilitation of a historic landmark four-story manufacturing facility originally built in 1914. The retail and office space is open to the public and is intended to serve as an important Midwest destination for green consumers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosciuszko Park (Chicago)</span> United States historic place

Kosciuszko Park is a park located at 2732 N. Avers Ave. Situated along the northern boundary of Chicago's Logan Square community area at Diversey, it is heavily frequented by residents of Avondale and is considered to be part of Jackowo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Square Boulevards Historic District</span> Historic district in Illinois, United States

The Logan Square Boulevards Historic District is a linear historic district in the Logan Square community area of North Side, Chicago. It encompasses 2.5 miles (4.0 km) of the Chicago boulevard system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Side, Chicago</span> District in Illinois, United States

The West Side is one of the three major sections of the city of Chicago, Illinois, U.S. The other two sections within Chicago that associate with the West Side are the North Side and the South Side. The West Side consists of communities that are of historical, cultural, and ideological importance to the history and development of Chicago. On the flag of Chicago, the West Side is represented by the central white stripe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mundie & Jensen</span> American architectural firm


Mundie & Jensen was an architectural firm in Chicago, Illinois. Several of its works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).

References

  1. ↑ "Biking the Boulevards with Geoffrey Baer" Archived 2016-03-22 at the Wayback Machine , WTTW. Retrieved March 26, 2016.
  2. ↑ Midway Plaisance "Biking the Boulevards with Geoffrey Baer", WTTWRetrieved May 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District" map, City of Chicago. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District" (PDF). gis.hpa.state.il.us. November 9, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 18, 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-18.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bachrach, Julia Sniderman (2005). "Park Districts". The Encyclopedia of Chicago (electronic ed.). Chicago Historical Society and The Newberry Library.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District" (PDF). (has 142 pages, is part 1 of 2, is continued in Part 2 (107 pages), first application submitted 2012|date=2012)
  7. 1 2 Bluestone, Daniel M. (July 1985). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Logan Square Boulevards Historic District" (PDF). National Park Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-18. Retrieved March 17, 2014. (Logan Square Boulevards Historic District is part of the larger system.)
  8. 1 2 Bledstein, Burton J., Project Director. "Chicago's Park & Boulevard System" (PDF). In the vicinity of Maxwell Street Market - Virtual Museum (tigger.uic.edu/depts/hist/hull-maxwell/). University of Illinois at Chicago. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ↑ "William Le Baron Jenney - The Cultural Landscape Foundation". tclf.org.
  10. ↑ "Diversey Parkway". Biking the Boulevards. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  11. ↑ "Chicago Park Boulevard System Historic District", The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
  12. ↑ "2011 NETWORK RESET COMPETITION - Chicago Architectural Club". chicagoarchitecturalclub.org. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  13. ↑ Vinnitskaya, Irina (March 30, 2011). "Network Reset: Rethinking the Chicago Emerald Necklace Competition Winners". ArchDaily. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "WEEKLY LIST OF ACTIONS TAKEN ON PROPERTIES: 02/01/2019 THROUGH 2/7/2019". National Park Service. Retrieved 2019-02-17.
  15. ↑ "Logan Square Boulevards District". Chicago Landmarks. City of Chicago. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
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