Palmer Park (Chicago) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Palmer Park
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| Location | 201 E. 111th St., Chicago, Illinois 60628 |
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| Area | 40.5 acres (16.4 ha) |
| Architect | D.H Burnham and Co.; Olmstead Bros |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| MPS | Chicago Park District MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 07000855 |
| Added to NRHP | August 30, 2007 |
Palmer Park is a large green space in Chicago, Illinois. You can find it at 201 E. 111th Street on the far South Side of the city. It's a popular spot for people to enjoy the outdoors and play sports.
Contents
History of Palmer Park
Palmer Park was created in 1904. It was part of a big plan by the South Park Commission. This group wanted to add more green spaces and fun areas for people in crowded parts of Chicago. They opened ten new parks, and Palmer Park was one of them.
Famous designers helped build these parks. The landscape architects were the Olmsted Brothers. The architects were from D.H. Burnham and Co.
Who Was Potter Palmer?
The park is named after Potter Palmer. He was a very successful businessman and investor in Chicago. Palmer cared a lot about developing the city. He helped turn swampy land north of the city into the famous Lake Shore Drive area. He also built the first baseball field for the Chicago White Stockings. This team was a very early version of today's Chicago Cubs. Potter Palmer also built the well-known Palmer House Hotel.
Palmer Park Joins the Chicago Park District
In 1934, many smaller park groups in Chicago joined together. They formed one big system called the Chicago Park District. Palmer Park became part of this new, unified system.
Art and History at the Park
During the 1930s, the park got some special artwork. James McBurney, an art director for the park district, painted three murals for Palmer Park. He did this as part of a program called the Works Progress Administration. This was a government project that helped people find jobs during tough economic times.
The three murals at Palmer Park show different parts of history:
- "Native Americans"
- "Explorers"
- "Dutch settlers"
You can also find other famous murals by James McBurney in different places around Chicago.
What Can You Do at Palmer Park?
Palmer Park is a great place to visit! It's located just south of Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy. The park is open every day from morning until evening, and it's free to enter.
The park has many things for you to do, including:
