Douglass Park

Coordinates: 41°52′N 87°42′W / 41.86°N 87.70°W / 41.86; -87.70
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For parks named Douglas Park, see Douglas Park (disambiguation).

Douglass (Frederick and Anna) Park
This Douglass Park Greenhouse was torn down in 1905.
Map
TypeMunicipal
LocationChicago, Cook County, Illinois
Area173 acres (0.70 km2)
Operated byChicago Park District
OpenAll year

Douglass Park, formerly Douglas Park, is a part of the

community area with an official address of 1401 S. Sacramento Drive.[2]

Founded in 1871, the park was originally named for U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas. In 2020, the park was renamed Douglass (Frederick and Anna) Park, for abolitionist Frederick Douglass and his wife Anna Murray Douglass.[3][4]

Riot Fest is held annually each summer at Douglass Park.

The park was named for Illinois politician and presidential candidate Stephen A. Douglas for over 151 years
In 2020 the park was renamed for the abolitionist Frederick Douglass and his wife Anna Murray Douglass

History

This stone bridge pictured in front of the old Greenhouse is one of the few remnants of Jenney's original park designs.

In 1869, the

natatorium.[5]

20th-century redevelopment

This 1916 photo depicts the outdoor gymnasium.

By the turn of the century, the West Park Commission was riddled with

playing fields to the south.[5] Jensen demolished the conservatories in each of the West Park System parks in favor of one grand conservatory at Garfield Park.[8]

At the entrance to the garden, the area closest to the busy roadway intersection, Jensen placed a monumental garden shelter, known as Flower Hall, and a formal

On Leong Merchants Association Building in Chinatown. In 1934, Douglas Park became part of the Chicago Park District, when the city's 22 independent park commissions merged into a single citywide agency.[5]

In 2017, students launched a petition to rename the park for Frederick Douglass and his wife, and presented a proposal to the park district board in 2019. In 2020, noting it had never held a vote to change the name of any park from a historical person in its history, the Chicago Park District Board approved the change.[9]

Today

The park has served as a central location for recreation since it was first built. It currently houses a

soccer fields, basketball courts, and an oval running track.[10] The park also retains its original lagoon, a wide variety of trees, and the original Jenney-designed stone bridge.[10][11] The greenhouse that attracted visitors from throughout the city was torn down in 1905.[12] The statue of Czech patriot, Karel Havlíček Borovský, by Joseph Strachovsky was moved to Solidarity Drive on today's Museum Campus in the vicinity of the Adler Planetarium in 1981.[12] Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid included plans to host the Olympic cycling competitions in this park, including a velodrome and a BMX course.[13] Beginning in 2015, the park is the new home of the Riot Fest.[14] From 2018-2022, it was also the host of the Lyrical Lemonade hip-hop music festival.[15]

See also

  • Parks of Chicago
  • List of landmarks in Chicago

Notes

  1. ^
    ISBN 0-7385-0716-4
    .
  2. ISBN 0-8294-0597-6
  3. ^ Wetli, Patty (July 22, 2020). "Park District Board Says of Douglas Park Name Change: 'It Will Be Done'". WTTW. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  4. ^ Greene, Morgan (November 19, 2020). "After Years of Student Activism, Park District Officially Makes Name Change to Douglass Park". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Douglas Park Cultural & Community Center". Chicago Park District. 2006. Archived from the original on April 5, 2007. Retrieved May 1, 2007.
  6. ^
    ISBN 0-912223-02-2
    .
  7. ^ Bachrach, Julia Sniderman (2005). "Park Districts". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  8. ^ a b Bachrach, Julia Sniderman (2005). "Conservatories". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  9. ^ "Park named for slaveholding senator renamed after abolitionist Frederick Douglass". WGN. July 22, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  10. ^
    ISBN 0-7385-0716-4
    .
  11. ISBN 0-7385-0716-4
    .
  12. ^
    ISBN 0-7385-0716-4
    .
  13. ^ Hinz, Greg (April 14, 2007). "USOC picks Chicago for 2016 Olympic bid". Crain Chicago Business. Crain Communications, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2007.[permanent dead link]
  14. NBC Chicago
    . May 20, 2015. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  15. ^ "Lyrical Lemonade Leaves Douglass Park For Suburbs; 2nd Fest To Relocate After Pushback From West Siders". Block Club Chicago. Retrieved June 14, 2023.

External links

41°52′N 87°42′W / 41.86°N 87.70°W / 41.86; -87.70

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