Park Ridge Youth Campus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Illinois Industrial School for Girls
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Two of the campus buildings in 2011
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| Location | 733 North Prospect Avenue Park Ridge, Illinois |
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| NRHP reference No. | 98000978 |
The Park Ridge Youth Campus was a special school and home for children in Park Ridge, Illinois. It operated from 1908 to 2012. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Illinois Industrial School for Girls. It was also called the Park Ridge School for Girls. Today, the area is known as Prospect Park and is managed by the Park Ridge Park District.
Contents
A Look Back: The Youth Campus Story
Early Days in Evanston
The school first opened in 1877 in Evanston, Illinois. It was called the Industrial School for Girls. It started on November 1 in a building that used to be a home for soldiers. The school had about 5 acres of land. This was the first school of its kind for girls in Illinois.
In 1879, a new law in Illinois allowed schools like this for girls. The school then officially became a corporation under this new law. In 1882, a court case questioned if such schools were legal. The court decided that the school was legal and not a prison. It ruled that sending a child there was not like putting them in jail.
In 1894 and 1895, there were some complaints about how the school was run. The governor of Illinois, John P. Altgeld, tried to send all 105 girls home. However, the girls chose to stay at the school.
People started suggesting that the school should move and change its setup. They thought it would be better if the girls lived in smaller "cottage" homes.
In 1906, there was a problem with how some girls were placed in homes. There were also issues with how money was managed. This led to a change in the school's leaders. After the board of directors was reorganized, Jane Addams joined them.
In early 1907, the school's board announced plans to leave Evanston. They wanted to move to a new, more rural spot in Park Ridge. The school had 125 girls and was facing money problems. To help raise funds, they held a charity baseball game. A semi-professional team run by Cap Anson played in the game at West Side Park.
Moving to Park Ridge
The school moved to Park Ridge in 1908. In 1913, it was renamed the Park Ridge School for Girls.
Many of the buildings were paid for by Julius Rosenwald. They were designed by a famous architecture firm called Holabird & Roche. This firm also designed important buildings like the Chicago Board of Trade Building and Soldier Field. Eight of the campus buildings are special because they helped the campus get listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1980, boys were allowed to attend the school for the first time. Because of this, the facility was renamed the Park Ridge Youth Campus. In the 1990s, its name was shortened to simply The Youth Campus. By 2011, the school's services were being provided by Maine Township High School District 207.
After the School Closed
The Youth Campus closed in the summer of 2012. The organization then joined with another group called Children's Home + Aid.
The campus land was divided into two parts. About 60% of the northern part was planned to be sold for new homes. The southern part, about 40%, was sold to the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District for $6.4 million. In April 2013, voters in Park Ridge approved a plan to borrow $13.2 million. This money was used to buy the land and turn it into a park. The Park District's property reopened as Prospect Park in May 2016.
Most of the campus buildings were torn down in March 2015. However, Emery Cottage, Solomon Cottage, and Wohlers Hall were saved. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency required that the torn-down buildings be documented. They also required that Solomon Cottage and Wohlers Hall be restored. Emery Cottage also had to be kept safe. Solomon Cottage, built in 1908, was leased to the Park Ridge Historical Society in 2016. It was renovated in 2017 and became the Park Ridge History Center.
- — former official site
Images for kids
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Illinois Industrial School for Girls (Park Ridge, 1909)
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