Garfield Park

Originally known as Central Park, Garfield Park was conceived as the centerpiece of the West Park System in 1869 and was renamed after President James Garfield's assassination in 1881. Plans for the ensemble of Humboldt, Garfield, and Douglas parks with connecting boulevards were completed in 1871 by William Le Baron Jenney, later known as the father of the skyscraper. Because the ambitious plan could not be realized all at once, the park developed in stages, beginning with the east lagoon. In 1905, Jens Jensen, later revered as the Dean of the Prairie style in landscape architecture, transformed unfinished areas of Garfield Park into gardens and naturalistic landscapes and designed the Garfield Park Conservatory, one of the world's largest and most distinctive glass buildings for the display of plants. In 1927, a ten million dollar bond issue led to construction of several new park buildings, including the ornate Gold Dome Building, a Spanish Revival style headquarters for the West Park System. When the office space was no longer needed in the 1930's, the building was converted into the Garfield Park fieldhouse, which continues to offer cultural and athletic programs.

Chicago, Illinois · United States