Avondale Park is a 1.7 acre park in the Avondale community area of

North Side, Chicago The city of Chicago is divided into 77 community areas for statistical and planning purposes. Census data and other statistics are tied to the areas, which serve as the basis for a variety of urban planning initiatives on both the local and re ...

, Illinois. The park stretches between School Street to the south to the

Kennedy Expressway The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a nearly freeway in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Portions of the freeway carry I-190, I-90 and I-94. The freeway runs in a southeast–northwest direction between the central city neighborhood of the ...

to the north and east, with the alley behind Drake Street to the West. The park has recreational facilities including a playground, a fieldhouse, as well as an outdoor pool.

History

Created by the Irving Park District, Avondale Park takes its name from the surrounding neighborhood of Avondale. In 1929, the Irving Park District board drew up plans for a 5 acre park. That year an attractive brick fieldhouse designed by

Clarence Hatzfeld Clarence Hatzfeld (1873–1943) was a prolific Chicago architect who designed residences, park field houses, Masonic temples, banks and other commercial buildings in the Arts and Crafts movement, Craftsman, Prairie School, Prairie, and Architectura ...

was built, and lawn, shrubbery, trees, and flowers soon graced Avondale Park's landscape. By the early 1930s, the park included a playfield, separate boys' and girls' playgrounds, a wading pool, a sand box, and tennis courts. With the creation of the

Chicago Park District The Chicago Park District is one of the oldest and the largest park districts in the United States. As of 2016, there are over 600 parks included in the Chicago Park District as well as 27 beaches, 10 boat docking harbors, two botanic conservat ...

in 1934, the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

forced consolidation of the city's 22 independent park agencies, including the Irving Park District. In 1959 the park's size was greatly reduced to just over 1 acre, when its entire northeast portion was destroyed to build the

. The result was the loss of Avondale Park's playfield and tennis courts, with the site redesigned to incorporate new volleyball and basketball courts in the field house.

References

{{Chicago Parks Parks in Chicago North Side, Chicago 1929 establishments in Illinois