Independence Park
About this property
Independence Park, officially Park #83 of the Chicago Park District, is a 7.16-acre (2.90 ha) recreational area in the Irving Park neighborhood of North Side, Chicago, Illinois. First opened in 1914, the park has been the traditional location of Independence Day celebrations for Irving Park residents since 1903. Irving Park was developed in the 1870s following a connection to the Chicago and North Western Railroad. Annexed to Chicago in 1889, the neighborhood boomed around the turn of the century. A number of civic groups, such as the Irving Park Improvement Club, the Irving Park Women's Club, and the Women's Relief Corps, the Irving Park Athletic Club, and the Irving Park Club, formed to meet the needs of residents. In 1903, these groups collaborated to plan an Independence Day celebration, held in an open space near the intersection of Irving Park Boulevard and North Springfield Avenue. Activities included a parade, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, singing, and sporting events. Fireworks became part of the celebration in 1907. In March 1910, Irving Park residences filed a petition with Mayor of Chicago Fred A. Busse to request an independent park district. Busse forwarded the matter to the Special Park Commission, who recommended that the community form an independent district. At a meeting on April 12, 1910, the Irving Park District was established and five commission members were elected. In August 1911, the commission purchased the Independence Day celebration grounds and an adjacent property, a total of 5 acres (2.0 ha). In 1913, the district commissioned architects Clarence Hatzfield and Arthur Howell Knox to design a field house. The two architects had previously worked under Dwight H. Perkins, the school architect of Chicago. As a middle-to-upper-class neighborhood, Irving Park residents wanted the park to resemble a country club. As a result, the field house was designed to include an indoor swimming pool, ballroom, and gymnasium. The Women's Club moved their library into the second floor of the building when it opened. Independence Park was dedicated on the Fourth of July, 1914. The building was also used as the park district headquarters. The park also featured a running track, baseball fields, a playground, a wading pool, and two shelters in its early history. The baseball fields would be flooded in winters, creating ice skating rinks. The park hosted the Chicago Public High School league in 1918 and an ice skating derby in 1920. The library outgrew its quarters in 1928 and moved into its longtime home at 3715 W. Irving Park Road. By the late 1920s, the park had horseshoe courts, putting greens, and tennis courts.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Independence Park listed on the National Register?
Independence Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 18, 2009.
What type of historic resource is Independence Park?
Independence Park is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Independence Park?
The period of significance for Independence Park is recorded as the listed era.
Can I research the history near Independence Park?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Independence Park will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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