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Coordinates: 41°54′22″N 87°42′07″W / 41.906°N 87.702°W / 41.906; -87.702
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{{about|the park|the neighborhood|Humboldt Park, Chicago}}
{{About|the park|the neighborhood|Humboldt Park, Chicago}}{{Use American English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}}
[[File:Aerial Photo of Humboldt Park Boat House.jpg|thumb|Aerial photo of Humboldt Park's Boat House.]]
{{Infobox NRHP
{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Humboldt Park
| name = Humboldt Park
| image = Humboldt Park Stables and Receptory.jpg
| image = Humboldt Park Stables and Receptory.jpg
| caption = The [[#stable|stables and receptory]]
| caption = The [[#stable|stables and receptory]]
| nrhp_type =
| nrhp_type =
| designated_other1_name= Chicago Landmark
| designated_other1_name = Chicago Landmark
| designated_other1_date= November 13, 1996 and <br /> February 6, 2008
| designated_other1_date = November 13, 1996 and <br /> February 6, 2008
| designated_other1_abbr= CL
| designated_other1_abbr = CL
| designated_other1_link= Chicago Landmark
| designated_other1_link = Chicago Landmark
| designated_other1_color= #aaccff
| designated_other1_color = #aaccff
| location = Roughly bounded by N. Sacramento and Augusta Blvds., and N. Kedzie, North and N. California Aves. and W. Division St., [[Chicago, Illinois]]
| location = Roughly bounded by N. Sacramento and Augusta Blvds., and N. Kedzie, North and N. California Aves. and W. Division St., [[Chicago, Illinois]]
| coordinates = {{coord|41.9065|N|87.7018|W|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates = {{coord|41.906|-87.702|type:landmark_region:US-IL_dim:2000|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = Chicago#Illinois#USA
| locmapin = Chicago#Illinois#USA
| built = 1870s–1920s
| built = 1870s–1920s
| added = February 20, 1992
| added = February 20, 1992
| area = {{convert|206.9|acre}}
| area = {{convert|206.9|acre}}
| mpsub = {{NRHP url|id=64500200|title=Chicago Park District MPS}}
| mpsub = {{NRHP url|id=64500200|title=Chicago Park District MPS}}
| refnum = 92000074<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
| refnum = 92000074<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>
| governing_body = [[Chicago Park District]]
}}
}}
'''Humboldt Park''' is a {{convert|207|acre|adj=on}} [[park]] located at 1400 North Sacramento Avenue on the [[West Side, Chicago|West Side]] of [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]].
'''Humboldt Park''' is a {{convert|207|acre|adj=on}} [[park]] located at 1400 North Sacramento Avenue in [[West Town, Chicago|West Town]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/doit/general/GIS/Chicago_Maps/Community_Areas/CA_WEST_TOWN.pdf|title=WEST TOWN|publisher=City of Chicago|access-date=2024-01-23}}</ref> on the [[West Side, Chicago|West Side]] of [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]. It opened in 1877, and is one of the largest parks on the West Side. The park's designers include [[William Le Baron Jenney]], and [[Jens Jensen (landscape architect)|Jens Jensen]].


The park was named for [[Alexander von Humboldt]], a German [[naturalist]] and [[botanist]].
The park was named for [[Alexander von Humboldt]], a German [[naturalist]] and [[botanist]].
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==History==
==History==
[[File:Humboldt park pavillion.jpg|thumb|left|Pavilion in 1908]]
[[File:Humboldt park pavillion.jpg|thumb|left|Pavilion in 1908]]
[[File:Aerial Photo of Field House.jpg|thumb|Aerial photo of the Field House and [[Refectory]]]]
[[File:Aerial Photo of Field House.jpg|thumb|Aerial photo of the [[Field House]] and [[Refectory]]]]
⚫
[[File:Aerial Photo of Humboldt Park Boat House.jpg|thumb|Aerial photo of Humboldt Park's Boat House.]][[William Le Baron Jenney]] began developing the park in the 1870s, molding a flat [[prairie]] landscape into a "pleasure ground" with horse trails and a pair of [[lagoon]]s. Originally named "North Park",<ref name="landmark07" /> it opened to the public in 1877, but landscape architects such as [[Jens Jensen (landscape architect)|Jens Jensen]] made significant additions to the park over the next few decades. Between 1905 and 1920, Jensen connected the two lagoons with a river, planted a rose garden, and built a fieldhouse, boathouse, and music pavilion.<ref>Scott Jacobs. "[http://www.theweekbehind.com/articles/humboldt.html Humboldt Park] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402055347/http://www.theweekbehind.com/articles/humboldt.html |date=2008-04-02 }}". ''The Week Behind''. June 4, 2004. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.</ref>
⚫
[[File:Humboldt Park Field House and Refectory.jpg|thumb|left|The Field House and Refectory]]
⚫
[[William Le Baron Jenney]] began developing the park in the 1870s, molding a flat [[prairie]] landscape into a "pleasure ground" with horse trails and a pair of [[lagoon]]s. Originally named "North Park",<ref name="landmark07"/> it opened to the public in 1877, but landscape architects such as [[Jens Jensen (landscape architect)|Jens Jensen]] made significant additions to the park over the next few decades. Between 1905 and 1920, Jensen connected the two lagoons with a river, planted a rose garden, and built a fieldhouse, boathouse, and music pavilion.<ref>Scott Jacobs. "[http://www.theweekbehind.com/articles/humboldt.html Humboldt Park] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402055347/http://www.theweekbehind.com/articles/humboldt.html |date=2008-04-02 }}". ''The Week Behind''. June 4, 2004. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.</ref>


In 2018, the [https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/ Chicago Park District] and [https://www.chicagoparksfoundation.org/ Chicago Parks Foundation] partnered with [https://www.gardenconservancy.org/ the Garden Conservancy] to improve the Jens Jensen Formal Garden. They rehabilitated the natural landscape and repaired deteriorating infrastructure, winning the 2018 Jens Jensen Award from the [https://il-asla.org/ IL chapter] of the [[American Society of Landscape Architects]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://il-asla.org/award/homboldt-park-formal-garden/|title=Humboldt Park Formal Garden|website=ILASLA|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-27}}</ref>
In 2018, the [https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/ Chicago Park District] and [https://www.chicagoparksfoundation.org/ Chicago Parks Foundation] partnered with [https://www.gardenconservancy.org/ the Garden Conservancy] to improve the Jens Jensen Formal Garden. They rehabilitated the natural landscape and repaired deteriorating infrastructure, winning the 2018 Jens Jensen Award from the [https://il-asla.org/ IL chapter] of the [[American Society of Landscape Architects]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://il-asla.org/award/homboldt-park-formal-garden/|title=Humboldt Park Formal Garden|website=ILASLA|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-27}}</ref>
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The park played a prominent role in the past for [[Chicago's Polish community]]. The [[Polish Constitution Day Parade]] once traditionally terminated here at the [[Tadeusz Kosciuszko]] statue that was located here before it was moved to Solidarity Promenade on the lakefront [[Museum Campus]] in 1981. Additionally, pianist and Polish statesman [[Ignace Paderewski]] delivered a famous address where he rallied Chicagoans to the cause of a free and independent Poland.
The park played a prominent role in the past for [[Chicago's Polish community]]. The [[Polish Constitution Day Parade]] once traditionally terminated here at the [[Tadeusz Kosciuszko]] statue that was located here before it was moved to Solidarity Promenade on the lakefront [[Museum Campus]] in 1981. Additionally, pianist and Polish statesman [[Ignace Paderewski]] delivered a famous address where he rallied Chicagoans to the cause of a free and independent Poland.


From 2012 to 2014, Humboldt Park was the home of the [[punk rock]]–based music festival [[Riot Fest]] and Carnival. For 2015, the three-day music festival was met with opposition from Alderman [[Roberto Maldonado]] and local residents over the condition of the grass, lack of accessibility during and after the festival, and [[gentrification]] of the surrounding area. This led to the festival's relocation south to [[Douglas Park (Chicago)|Douglas Park]].
From 2012 to 2014, Humboldt Park was the home of the [[punk rock]]–based music festival [[Riot Fest]] and Carnival. For 2015, the three-day music festival was met with opposition from Alderman [[Roberto Maldonado]] and local residents over the condition of the grass, lack of accessibility during and after the festival, and [[gentrification]] of the surrounding area. This led to the festival's relocation south to [[Douglass Park]].


In 2019, [[Chance the Snapper|an alligator]] was found at the park's lagoon, capturing much interest and media attention.
In 2019, [[Chance the Snapper|an alligator]] was found at the park's lagoon, capturing much interest and media attention.


=== Landmark status ===
=== Landmark status ===
The park was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1992.<ref>[http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/IL/Cook/state5.html National Register of Historical Places in Cook County, IL]. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.</ref> The boathouse pavilion was named a [[Chicago Landmark]] on November 13, 1996.<ref>[http://www.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/H/HumboldtParkBoathouse.html Humboldt Park Boathouse Pavilion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622174144/http://www.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/H/HumboldtParkBoathouse.html |date=2008-06-22 }}. City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division (2003). Retrieved on June 8, 2008.</ref> The [[#stable|stables and receptory]] became a [[Chicago Landmark]] on February 6, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://egov.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/pdf/LandmarksBooklet.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620212750/http://egov.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/pdf/LandmarksBooklet.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-06-20 |title=2009 Chicago Landmark Booklet |publisher=Commission on Chicago Landmarks Div. |year=2009 |accessdate=2009-06-12 }}</ref>
The park was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1992.<ref>[http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/IL/Cook/state5.html National Register of Historical Places in Cook County, IL]. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.</ref> The boathouse pavilion was named a [[Chicago Landmark]] on November 13, 1996.<ref>[http://www.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/H/HumboldtParkBoathouse.html Humboldt Park Boathouse Pavilion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622174144/http://www.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/H/HumboldtParkBoathouse.html |date=2008-06-22 }}. City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division (2003). Retrieved on June 8, 2008.</ref> The [[#stable|stables and receptory]] became a [[Chicago Landmark]] on February 6, 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://egov.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/pdf/LandmarksBooklet.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090620212750/http://egov.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/pdf/LandmarksBooklet.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2009-06-20 |title=2009 Chicago Landmark Booklet |publisher=Commission on Chicago Landmarks Div. |year=2009 |access-date=2009-06-12 }}</ref>


== {{anchor|stable}} Stable and receptory ==
== {{anchor|stable}} Stable and receptory ==
⚫
[[File:Humboldt Park Field House and Refectory.jpg|thumb|Humboldt Park [[Field house]] and [[Refectory]]]]


⚫
The stable and receptory is a single building. It was built in 1895–1896 as a [[half-timbered]] German country house that combined [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne revival]] features. The [[eclecticism in architecture|eclectic architecture]] also incorporated some [[neo-medieval architecture|neo-medieval]] and [[neo-romanesque architecture|neo-romanesque]] details, like [[turret]]s and a [[Richardsonian]] courtyard [[porte-cochere]].<ref name="landmark07"/>


⚫
The stable and receptory is a single building. It was built in 1895–1896 as a [[half-timbered]] German country house that combined [[Queen Anne style architecture in the United States|Queen Anne revival]] features. The [[eclecticism in architecture|eclectic architecture]] also incorporated some [[neo-medieval architecture|neo-medieval]] and [[neo-romanesque architecture|neo-romanesque]] details, like [[Turret (architecture)|turret]]s and a [[Richardsonian]] courtyard [[porte-cochere]].<ref name="landmark07" />
⚫
The Receptory was the visitor center and main building of the park. It included the park superintendant's office, first occupied by [[Jens Jensen (landscape architect)|Jens Jensen]]. Visitors would park their carriages there.<ref name="landmark07"/>


⚫
The Receptory was the visitor center and main building of the park. It included the park superintendent's office, first occupied by [[Jens Jensen (landscape architect)|Jens Jensen]]. Visitors would park their carriages there.<ref name="landmark07" />
⚫
The rear portion of the building was the stable, with stalls for 16 horses. It is less ornate, but still features many roof [[dormer]]s and a spire.<ref name="landmark07">{{cite web |author1=Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division |title=Landmark Designation Report: Humboldt Park Receptory Building and Stable |url=https://www.chicago.gov/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Humboldt_Park_Receptory_Stable.pdf |date=2007 |quote=[The Receptory and Stable] is a visually-striking fusion of both building types: the visually-rich and diverse Queen Anne architectural style, combined with the “old Germans tyle of country house architecture,” [...] and Medieval and Romanesque details made from eclectic building materials and textures}}</ref>

⚫
The rear portion of the building was the stable, with stalls for 16 horses. It is less ornate, but still features many roof [[dormer]]s and a spire.<ref name="landmark07">{{cite web |author1=Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division |title=Landmark Designation Report: Humboldt Park Receptory Building and Stable |url=https://www.chicago.gov/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Humboldt_Park_Receptory_Stable.pdf |date=2007 |quote=[The Receptory and Stable] is a visually-striking fusion of both building types: the visually-rich and diverse Queen Anne architectural style, combined with the “old Germans tyle of country house architecture,” [...] and Medieval and Romanesque details made from eclectic building materials and textures}}</ref>


=== Museum ===
=== Museum ===
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{{main|National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture}}
{{main|National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture}}


[[Puerto Ricans in Chicago|Chicago's Puerto Rican community]] leased the stables – which is near [[Paseo Boricua]] – to house the [[National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture]], which opened in 2009.<ref>http://www.iprac.org</ref>
[[Puerto Ricans in Chicago|Chicago's Puerto Rican community]] leased the stables – which is near [[Paseo Boricua]] – to house the [[National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture]], which opened in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iprac.org/ |title=Home |website=iprac.org}}</ref>


==Statues==
==Statues==
[[File:Edward Kemeys' Bronze Bison Sculpture, Humboldt Park Formal Garden, Chicago.jpg|thumb|200px|Bison bronze sculpture, east entrance Formal Garden.]]
[[File:Edward Kemeys' Bronze Bison Sculpture, Humboldt Park Formal Garden, Chicago.jpg|thumb|200px|Bison bronze sculpture, Formal Garden's east entrance]]
[[File:Von Humboldt Statue.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Alexander von Humboldt]] statue in the park]]
[[File:Von Humboldt Statue.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Statue of Alexander von Humboldt (Chicago)|Statue of Alexander von Humboldt]] in the park]]
* Near the boathouse stands a ten-foot-tall monument of the park's namesake, [[Alexander von Humboldt]]. Sculpted by [[Felix Gorling]] and donated by [[Francis Dewes]], the statue encompasses a globe, a twig in his right hand, a lizard atop a manuscript, and plants at his feet. These inclusions were to symbolize Humboldt's travels and role in establishing geophysics and physical geography sciences.<ref name="Graf">{{Cite book
* Near the boathouse stands a ten-foot-tall [[Statue of Alexander von Humboldt (Chicago)|statue of Alexander von Humboldt]]. Sculpted by [[Felix Gorling]] and donated by [[Francis Dewes]], the statue encompasses a globe, a twig in his right hand, a lizard atop a manuscript, and plants at his feet. These inclusions were to symbolize Humboldt's travels and role in establishing geophysics and physical geography sciences.<ref name="Graf">{{Cite book
| last = Graf
| last = Graf
| first = John
| first = John
Line 68: Line 68:
| pages = 26–29
| pages = 26–29
| isbn = 0-7385-0716-4}}</ref>
| isbn = 0-7385-0716-4}}</ref>
* At the east entrance to the park, a pair of bronze [[American bison]] face the gardens. The sculptor, [[Edward Kemeys]], also known for the lions at the entrance of the [[Art Institute of Chicago]], created the Bison for the [[1893 World's Columbian Exposition]].<ref name="Graf"/> The bronze reproductions of the Bison were created by Jules Bercham. They have been sitting in Humboldt Park's formal garden since 1915.<ref>{{Cite web
* At the east entrance to the park, a pair of bronze [[American bison]] face the gardens. The sculptor, [[Edward Kemeys]], also known for the lions at the entrance of the [[Art Institute of Chicago]], created the Bison for the [[1893 World's Columbian Exposition]].<ref name="Graf" /> The bronze reproductions of the Bison were created by Jules Bercham. They have been sitting in Humboldt Park's formal garden since 1915.<ref>{{Cite web
|title=World's Fair Bison (in Humboldt Park)
|title=World's Fair Bison (in Humboldt Park)
|url=http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/attractions/park_district/world_s_fair_bison.html
|url=http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/attractions/park_district/world_s_fair_bison.html
|accessdate=November 19, 2009
|access-date=November 19, 2009
|url-status=dead
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615202434/http://explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/attractions/park_district/world_s_fair_bison.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615202434/http://explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/attractions/park_district/world_s_fair_bison.html
|archivedate=June 15, 2010
|archive-date=June 15, 2010
}}
}}
</ref>
</ref>
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|title=Fritz Reuter Monument
|title=Fritz Reuter Monument
|url=http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/attractions/park_district/fritz_reuter_monument.html
|url=http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/attractions/park_district/fritz_reuter_monument.html
|accessdate=November 19, 2009
|access-date=November 19, 2009
|url-status=dead
|url-status=dead
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201180624/http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/attractions/park_district/fritz_reuter_monument.html
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201180624/http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/things_see_do/attractions/park_district/fritz_reuter_monument.html
|archivedate=December 1, 2009
|archive-date=December 1, 2009 }}
⚫
</ref> The German American sculptor for this monument, Franz Engelsman had also originally created four relief plaques depicting Reuter's achievements that were placed at the base of the sculpture. However, they were stolen in the 1930s and never salvaged.<ref name="Reuter" />
}}
⚫
* The [[Statue of Leif Erikson (Chicago)|Statue of Leif Erikson]] is a bronze Viking sculpture set atop a granite boulder in Humboldt Park. Some believe Erikson to be the first European to discover North America. The [[Norwegian American]] community of Chicago commissioned the monument, which was sculpted by the Norwegian artist [[Sigvald Asbjørnsen]].<ref>{{Cite web
⚫
</ref> The German American sculptor for this monument, Franz Engelsman had also originally created four relief plaques depicting Reuter's achievements that were placed at the base of the sculpture. However, they were stolen in the 1930s and never salvaged.<ref name="Reuter"/>
⚫
* The [[Leif Ericson]] monument is a bronze Viking sculpture set atop a granite boulder in Humboldt Park. Some believe Ericson to be the first European to discover North America. The [[Norwegian American]] community of Chicago commissioned the monument, which was sculpted by the Norwegian artist [[Sigvald Asbjørnsen]].<ref>{{Cite web
| title = Early Chicago
| title = Early Chicago
| url = http://www.earlychicago.com/monuments.php?letter=L
| url = http://www.earlychicago.com/monuments.php?letter=L
| accessdate = November 19, 2009}}
| access-date = November 19, 2009
| archive-date = March 27, 2016
⚫
</ref>
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160327053538/http://www.earlychicago.com/monuments.php?letter=L

| url-status = dead
⚫
Additionally, the park was once home to a statue of [[Tadeusz Kosciuszko]] by [[Kazimierz Chodzinski]] that was built thanks to funds raised by [[Chicago's Polish community]] and moved in 1981 to the city's lakefront.
⚫
}}</ref>


⚫
Additionally, the park was once home to the [[Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument (Chicago)|Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument]] by [[Kazimierz Chodzinski]] that was built thanks to funds raised by [[Chicago's Polish community]] and moved in 1981 to the city's lakefront.
==Notes==
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category|Humboldt Park (Chicago park)|position=left}}
{{Commons category|Humboldt Park (Chicago park)|position=left}}
* [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/616.html Humboldt Park entry] from the ''Encyclopedia of Chicago''
* [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/616.html Humboldt Park entry] from the ''Encyclopedia of Chicago''
* [https://archive.is/20060320105218/http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/3A5DC0F3-2FEF-44E8-B99B-1487EAC9D1D2.cfm Description of Humboldt Park] at the Chicago Park District website
* [https://archive.today/20060320105218/http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/3A5DC0F3-2FEF-44E8-B99B-1487EAC9D1D2.cfm Description of Humboldt Park] at the Chicago Park District website
{{West Town, Chicago}}
{{West Town, Chicago}}
{{Chicago Parks}}
{{Chicago Parks}}
{{Chicago Landmark municipal}}
{{Chicago Landmark municipal}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{National Register of Historic Places}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Humboldt Park (Chicago Park)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Humboldt Park (Chicago Park)}}

Latest revision as of 08:27, 25 August 2024

This article is about the park. For the neighborhood, see Humboldt Park, Chicago.

Humboldt Park
The stables and receptory
Humboldt Park (Chicago park) is located in Chicago metropolitan area
Humboldt Park (Chicago park)
Humboldt Park (Chicago park) is located in Illinois
Humboldt Park (Chicago park)
Humboldt Park (Chicago park) is located in the United States
Humboldt Park (Chicago park)
LocationRoughly bounded by N. Sacramento and Augusta Blvds., and N. Kedzie, North and N. California Aves. and W. Division St., Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates41°54′22″N 87°42′07″W / 41.906°N 87.702°W / 41.906; -87.702
Area206.9 acres (83.7 ha)
Built1870s–1920s
MPSChicago Park District MPS
NRHP reference No.92000074[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPFebruary 20, 1992
Designated CLNovember 13, 1996 and
February 6, 2008

Humboldt Park is a 207-acre (84 ha) park located at 1400 North Sacramento Avenue in West Town,[2] on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1877, and is one of the largest parks on the West Side. The park's designers include William Le Baron Jenney, and Jens Jensen.

The park was named for Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist and botanist.

History

[edit]
Pavilion in 1908
Aerial photo of the Field House and Refectory
Aerial photo of Humboldt Park's Boat House.

William Le Baron Jenney began developing the park in the 1870s, molding a flat prairie landscape into a "pleasure ground" with horse trails and a pair of lagoons. Originally named "North Park",[3] it opened to the public in 1877, but landscape architects such as Jens Jensen made significant additions to the park over the next few decades. Between 1905 and 1920, Jensen connected the two lagoons with a river, planted a rose garden, and built a fieldhouse, boathouse, and music pavilion.[4]

In 2018, the Chicago Park District and Chicago Parks Foundation partnered with the Garden Conservancy to improve the Jens Jensen Formal Garden. They rehabilitated the natural landscape and repaired deteriorating infrastructure, winning the 2018 Jens Jensen Award from the IL chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.[5]

The park played a prominent role in the past for Chicago's Polish community. The Polish Constitution Day Parade once traditionally terminated here at the Tadeusz Kosciuszko statue that was located here before it was moved to Solidarity Promenade on the lakefront Museum Campus in 1981. Additionally, pianist and Polish statesman Ignace Paderewski delivered a famous address where he rallied Chicagoans to the cause of a free and independent Poland.

From 2012 to 2014, Humboldt Park was the home of the punk rock–based music festival Riot Fest and Carnival. For 2015, the three-day music festival was met with opposition from Alderman Roberto Maldonado and local residents over the condition of the grass, lack of accessibility during and after the festival, and gentrification of the surrounding area. This led to the festival's relocation south to Douglass Park.

In 2019, an alligator was found at the park's lagoon, capturing much interest and media attention.

Landmark status

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The park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.[6] The boathouse pavilion was named a Chicago Landmark on November 13, 1996.[7] The stables and receptory became a Chicago Landmark on February 6, 2008.[8]

Stable and receptory

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Humboldt Park Field house and Refectory


The stable and receptory is a single building. It was built in 1895–1896 as a half-timbered German country house that combined Queen Anne revival features. The eclectic architecture also incorporated some neo-medieval and neo-romanesque details, like turrets and a Richardsonian courtyard porte-cochere.[3]

The Receptory was the visitor center and main building of the park. It included the park superintendent's office, first occupied by Jens Jensen. Visitors would park their carriages there.[3]

The rear portion of the building was the stable, with stalls for 16 horses. It is less ornate, but still features many roof dormers and a spire.[3]

Museum

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Main article: National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture

Chicago's Puerto Rican community leased the stables – which is near Paseo Boricua – to house the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture, which opened in 2009.[9]

Statues

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Bison bronze sculpture, Formal Garden's east entrance
Statue of Alexander von Humboldt in the park
  • Near the boathouse stands a ten-foot-tall statue of Alexander von Humboldt. Sculpted by Felix Gorling and donated by Francis Dewes, the statue encompasses a globe, a twig in his right hand, a lizard atop a manuscript, and plants at his feet. These inclusions were to symbolize Humboldt's travels and role in establishing geophysics and physical geography sciences.[10]
  • At the east entrance to the park, a pair of bronze American bison face the gardens. The sculptor, Edward Kemeys, also known for the lions at the entrance of the Art Institute of Chicago, created the Bison for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition.[10] The bronze reproductions of the Bison were created by Jules Bercham. They have been sitting in Humboldt Park's formal garden since 1915.[11]
  • The German American residents of Chicago commissioned to have a monument created of Fritz Reuter, a German novelist and political martyr.[12] The German American sculptor for this monument, Franz Engelsman had also originally created four relief plaques depicting Reuter's achievements that were placed at the base of the sculpture. However, they were stolen in the 1930s and never salvaged.[12]
  • The Statue of Leif Erikson is a bronze Viking sculpture set atop a granite boulder in Humboldt Park. Some believe Erikson to be the first European to discover North America. The Norwegian American community of Chicago commissioned the monument, which was sculpted by the Norwegian artist Sigvald Asbjørnsen.[13]

Additionally, the park was once home to the Tadeusz Kościuszko Monument by Kazimierz Chodzinski that was built thanks to funds raised by Chicago's Polish community and moved in 1981 to the city's lakefront.

Notes

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "WEST TOWN" (PDF). City of Chicago. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division (2007). "Landmark Designation Report: Humboldt Park Receptory Building and Stable" (PDF). [The Receptory and Stable] is a visually-striking fusion of both building types: the visually-rich and diverse Queen Anne architectural style, combined with the "old Germans tyle of country house architecture," [...] and Medieval and Romanesque details made from eclectic building materials and textures
  4. ^ Scott Jacobs. "Humboldt Park Archived 2008-04-02 at the Wayback Machine". The Week Behind. June 4, 2004. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.
  5. ^ "Humboldt Park Formal Garden". ILASLA. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  6. ^ National Register of Historical Places in Cook County, IL. Retrieved on June 8, 2008.
  7. ^ Humboldt Park Boathouse Pavilion Archived 2008-06-22 at the Wayback Machine. City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division (2003). Retrieved on June 8, 2008.
  8. ^ "2009 Chicago Landmark Booklet" (PDF). Commission on Chicago Landmarks Div. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2009. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
  9. ^ "Home". iprac.org.
  10. ^ a b Graf, John (2000). Chicago's Parks. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 26–29. ISBN 0-7385-0716-4.
  11. ^ "World's Fair Bison (in Humboldt Park)". Archived from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
  12. ^ a b "Fritz Reuter Monument". Archived from the original on December 1, 2009. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
  13. ^ "Early Chicago". Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2009.
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