National Register of Historic Places

Palmer Park

Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Listed
August 29, 2007
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
07000855

About this property

Palmer Park is an urban park at 201 E. 111th Street on the far South Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Palmer Park was created in 1904 by the South Park Commission. Under the guidance of superintendent J. Frank Foster, the commission opened ten new neighborhood parks, including Palmer Park, in an effort to create breathing space and recreational areas in the city's crowded tenement districts. These parks were built by Olmsted Brothers landscape architects and D.H. Burnham and Co. architects. The park is named for Potter Palmer, a successful businessman and real estate investor concerned with the development of Chicago. Palmer was responsible for reclaiming the acres of swampland north of the city's business district, which were developed into the Lake Shore Drive area. He built the original baseball field for the Cubs' predecessor, the Chicago White Stockings, and built the Palmer House Hotel. In 1934, the city's 22 independent park commissions were consolidated into a new unified system, and Palmer Park became park of the Chicago Park District. Park district art director James McBurney painted three murals for Palmer Park as a Works Progress Administration project with money from the federal government. The three are: "Native Americans," "Explorers," and "Dutch settlers." Other noteworthy McBurney murals are found at the Wentworth School, Tilden High School, and Woodlawn National Bank. The park, located just south of Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy is open daily from dawn to dusk, with free admission. Facilities at the park include baseball fields, an indoor gym, meeting rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, and tennis courts.

Location

201 E. 111th St.
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
41.69119, -87.61604

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONSOCIAL HISTORYARCHITECTURELANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Pullman Historic District
Listed
0.5 mi
West Pullman Elementary School
Industrial
1.4 mi
Trumbull Park
Industrial
2.8 mi
AVR 661
Industrial
2.9 mi
Garden Homes Historic District
Modern
3.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Palmer Park listed on the National Register?

Palmer Park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 29, 2007.

What type of historic resource is Palmer Park?

Palmer Park is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Palmer Park?

The period of significance for Palmer Park is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Palmer Park?

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