Old Irving Park, Chicago
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Irving Park is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community areas located on the Northwest Side. It is bounded by the Chicago River on the east, the Milwaukee Road railroad tracks on the west, Addison Street on the south and Montrose Avenue on the north, west of Pulaski Road stretching to encompass the region between Belmont Avenue on the south and, roughly, Leland Avenue on the north. It is named after the American author Washington Irving. Old Irving Park, bounded by Montrose Avenue, Pulaski Road, Addison Street, and Cicero Avenue, has a variety of housing stock with Queen Anne,
Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...
, and Italianate homes, a few farmhouses, and numerous
bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a b ...
s. The CTA Blue Line runs through this neighborhood with stops at Addison, Irving Park, and Montrose.


History


Beginnings

Irving Park's development began in 1843 when Major Noble purchased a tract of land from Christopher J. Ward, upon which Noble established a farm. The boundaries of that farm today would be Montrose Avenue to the north, Irving Park Road to the South, Pulaski Road to the east and Kostner Avenue to the West. Major Noble's house on the East side of
Elston Elston is a village and civil parish in Nottinghamshire, England, to the south-west of Newark, and a mile from the A46 Fosse Way. The population of the civil parish taken at the 2011 Census was 631. It lies between the rivers Trent and Devon, w ...
just south of Montrose doubled as the Buckthorn Tavern, serving travelers coming to and from the city of Chicago along the North West Plank Road (Elston). After many years of successful farming Noble sold the farm and retired to McHenry County. Four men from
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, Charles T. Race, John S. Brown, Adelbert E Brown and John Wheeler, purchased the farm in 1869 for $20,000 USD. Shortly thereafter they purchased an additional tract immediately south of the Noble farm from John Gray for US$25,000. This parcel, bounded by Irving Park on the north, Grace on the south, Pulaski on the east and Kostner on the west was part of his original farm. The intention of the men was to continue farming, but after seeing the success of
suburban A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
communities which had recently opened for settlement, they decided to subdivide their land and create an exclusive settlement, from the city. An agreement was reached with the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad allowing their trains to stop in Irving Park if the developers would build a station. This was done, and this station, still at the same location, continues to serve neighborhood residents today. The original name chosen for the new suburb was "Irvington" after the author Washington Irving, but it was discovered that another town in Illinois had already used the same name, so the name of Irving Park was adopted. The original developers all built substantial
mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word '' manse'' originally defined a property l ...
s along Irving Park Boulevard between 1870 and 1874. All have since been razed, with the exception of the Steven A. Race mansion, which was moved at the turn of the century and now stands at 3945 N. Tripp Avenue. Another early home, built for Erastus Brown, father of John and Adalbert, also remains at 3812 N. Pulaski Road although greatly altered. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which was watched from the cupolas of several area homes, brought a new influx of residents who built many unique, but slightly less pretentious homes. In 1872, the area's first church, the Dutch Reformed Church and Society of Irving Park was constructed on the southeast corner of Keeler Avenue and Belle Plaine Avenue. It remained the only house of worship for thirteen years. The building was completely remodeled in 1908, according to plans by noted architect Elmer C. Jensen. Jensen's spectacular personal residence in the Colonial Revival style built in 1905 still stands in the Old Irving Park neighborhood on North Lowell Avenue. By the turn of the century, congregations representing the
Episcopalians Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
, Methodists,
Disciples of Christ The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States and Canada. The denomination started with the Restoration Movement during the Second Great Awakening, first existing during the 19th ...
, Catholics and
Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
had been established.


Annexation to Chicago and subsequent development

The 1880s found residents beginning to miss some of advantages they had left behind in the city, and in 1889 the community, along with the rest of Jefferson Township, was annexed to Chicago. Water piped to the area from
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
, and the establishments of a
fire department A fire department (American English) or fire brigade (Commonwealth English), also known as a fire authority, fire district, fire and rescue, or fire service in some areas, is an organization that provides fire prevention and fire suppression se ...
and streetcar service along major streets were some of the improvements to occur during the first year after annexation. Over 200 homes had been built in the original subdivision within the first twenty years. Several additions to Irving Park had greatly increased the original suburb. Grayland, which was opened for settlement in 1874, extended West from Kostner to Cicero Avenue, between Irving Park and Addison. Subdivided by John Gray, the first Republican
sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...
of Cook County, on a portion of his extensive farm, it grew around the Grayland station of the Milwaukee Road Railroad, which is still in active use today. Gray's first home built in 1856 at 4362 W. Grace survives today in a remarkable state of preservation and is the oldest house in Irving Park. Gray later built a lavish mansion on the northwest corner of Milwaukee and Lowell to reflect his new-found wealth and it was a community showplace. Indoor plumbing with gold fixtures, exotic woods and expensive marbles highlighted his home. It was razed around the year 1915. Three subdivisions east of Pulaski led to the development of the area in the late 1890s. West Walker is located between Montrose Avenue and Irving Park Road and is characterized by large single family homes in late Victorian, Foursquare and Revival styles. The area south of Irving Park Road was developed by Samuel Gross and was known as "Gross Boulevard addition to Irving Park". The housing stock is similar to that of West Walker. The section between Addison and Avondale was developed as the "Villa addition to Irving Park" and contains many unique Craftsman and
Bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a b ...
style homes fronting on boulevard style streets. The
Villa District The Villa District, also known as Villa Historic District, ( pl, Polskie Wille) is a historic district in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located on Chicago's Northwest Side within the community area of Irving Park. Its borders are al ...
, as it is known, is a
Chicago Landmark Chicago Landmark is a designation by the Mayor and the City Council of Chicago for historic sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, archite ...
district, dubbed by hallowed journalist
Mike Royko Michael Royko Jr. (September 19, 1932 – April 29, 1997) was an American newspaper columnist from Chicago. Over his 30-year career, he wrote over 7,500 daily columns for the ''Chicago Daily News'', the ''Chicago Sun-Times'', and the ''Chicago ...
as ''"Polish Kenilworth"'' due to its heavily ethnic hue. In 1910 the residents of Irving Park established their own park district and created eight local parks, the largest of which is
Independence Park Independence Park may refer to: * Independence Park Botanic Gardens, a botanical garden in Baton Rouge, Louisiana * Independence Park (Charlotte, North Carolina), a park in Charlotte, North Carolina * Independence Park (Chicago), a park in Chicag ...
. Considered one of the finest landscaped neighborhood parks in the city for many years, Independence Park also served as the site of local
4th of July Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music) In music a fourth is an interval spanning four staff po ...
celebrations. This annual event features a parade down Irving Park Boulevard involving hundreds of children, athletic events, a band concert and an award-winning display of fireworks. In 1933 the Irving Park District merged with the Chicago Park District. Irving Park continued to grow steadily during the first decades of the 20th century. Several large apartment buildings, featuring elaborate wrought-iron fencing, fountains and terra cotta details were constructed primarily north of Irving Park Boulevard. The depression and war years saw many of the larger homes converted into rooming houses and two family homes. The prosperity following the war was diminished when it was learned that the Northwest Expressway (Kennedy) would cut directly through the heart of Irving Park. This resulted in the displacement of many residents, and loss of many homes and businesses. During the 1960s condominiums replaced several larger homes along Keystone, Kedvale and Keeler north of the expressway. The 1970s provided baseball fans in the area with their own home grown amateur baseball team, the Irving Park White Sox. Founded in 1971 by two Irving Park residents, the late Robert Boomer and William Supernaw, this three time Chicago park champion became one of the top men's baseball clubs in the Chicago area well into the 1980s. They played their home games at Henry Horner Park located at Irving Park and California Avenue.


Present day

The early 1980s saw a rebirth for Irving Park as a wider audience discovered the beautiful homes and rich history of the area. The Irving Park Historical Society was formed in 1984, to help preserve the neighborhood's heritage and its irreplaceable architecture, which has survived since the late 19th century. Since the society's inception many homes have been restored and many more restorations are in progress. A survey by volunteers of the Irving Park Historical Society documented several hundred buildings in use which predate 1894, many dating as far back as the 1870s. Some remain intact while many have been modified or remodeled. Others retain just a hint of their former Victorian splendor.


Serbian Community

During the 1990s the neighborhood saw an influx of
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...
immigrants, today there are many Serbian-owned cafes and restaurants along Irving Park Road. It is said to have about 2,650 Serbian families living in Irving Park as of 2015. Totally the number of Serbians living in the neighborhood is well over 3,000.


Demographics


Neighborhoods


Old Irving Park

Old Irving Park is a neighborhood within the Irving Park Community Area of Chicago, comprising its historical core. Its borders are Montrose to the north, Addison to its south, Pulaski Road to the east and Cicero to the west, those of the original two farms that developed here in the 1870s.


The Villa

The Villa district ( pl, Polskie Wille) - ( Pulaski Road to the west, Addison to the south, Avondale Avenue to the north and east), was built in 1902 by a number of architects, many of them visibly influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's
Prairie Style Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hip roof, hipped roofs with broad Overhang (architecture), ove ...
of architecture. Most notable among these were bungalows designed by the architectural firm of Hatzfeld and Knox, whose partner
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 Craftsman, Prairie, and Revival styles. Biography Early life Born in Milwa ...
would later design the fieldhouse and natatorium at
Portage Park Portage Park is a park in the Portage Park community area of Chicago, Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places. The park stretches from Irving Park Road on the south to Berteau Avenue between Central and Long Avenues. The largest p ...
. The area was originally developed as the ''"Villa addition to Irving Park"'' and showcases many unique Craftsman and
Prairie style Prairie School is a late 19th- and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hip roof, hipped roofs with broad Overhang (architecture), ove ...
homes fronting on picturesque boulevard style streets. Although
St. Wenceslaus Wenceslaus I ( cs, Václav ; c. 907 – 28 September 935 or 929), Wenceslas I or ''Václav the Good'' was the Duke ('' kníže'') of Bohemia from 921 until his death, probably in 935. According to the legend, he was assassinated by his younger ...
church, a majestic Romanesque Revival- Art Deco hybrid draws many of the visitors touring the area, this historic church is actually a few blocks south of the district's formal boundaries.


Independence Park

'Independence Park' is a neighborhood within Irving Park that was developed in the 1800s. It shares its name with a park of the same name. Its borders are Irving Park Road to the north, the Kennedy Expressway to the west, Elston Avenue and Central Park Avenue to the east, and Addison Street to the south.


West Walker

'West Walker' is an area bounded by Irving Park Rd to the South, Central Park Ave to the East, Montrose Ave to the North and Pulaski St to the West. The 'West Walker Triangle' is an enclave within West Walker that comprises the area bounded by Irving Park Road to the south, Pulaski Road to the west, and Elston Avenue to the northeast.


California Park

'California Park' is a neighborhood located in the eastern portion of Irving Park that began development in the 1920s. Understated single-family homes and family-owned businesses are a common feature. Its borders are Montrose Ave. to the north, Addison St. to the south, Kedzie Ave. to the west, and the Chicago River to the east.


Kilbourn Park

Kilbourn Park (Milwaukee to the north, Belmont to the south, the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line to the east, and Cicero to the west) is a primarily middle class residential and industrial area. Although technically part of the Irving Park community area, the neighborhood is more akin to neighboring Avondale in terms of both its built environment and the sociology of its residents.


Avondale Gardens

Avondale Gardens (also known as ''Merchant Park'') (Addison to the north, Belmont to the south, the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line to the West, Pulaski Road to the east) has been in recent years relabeled as ''"South Old Irving Park"'' by some. Like Kilbourn Park, the neighborhood is more akin to neighboring Avondale in terms of both its built environment and the sociological makeup of its residents than other areas of the Irving Park Community Area. The name Merchant Park owes its name to John and Clara Merchant, whose house in Old Irving has been designated an official landmark by the City of Chicago.


Little Cassubia

Little
Cassubia ''Peytoia infercambriensis'' is a species of hurdiid radiodont in the genus ''Peytoia''. ''P. infercambriensis'' is the geologically oldest known radiodont; its remains date to the third age of the Cambrian. The type and only known specimen, ...
( pl, Małe Kaszuby) was a historical neighborhood in the Irving Park Community Area between Irving Park on the North, Addison to the South, Kimball to the West and Kedzie to the East. The name "Little Cassubia" was coined by locals because of the
Kaszub The Kashubians ( csb, Kaszëbi; pl, Kaszubi; german: Kaschuben), also known as Cassubians or Kashubs, are a Lechitic ( West Slavic) ethnic group native to the historical region of Pomerania, including its eastern part called Pomerelia, in nort ...
people living in the area, who also founded the Roman Catholic Parish of Immaculate Heart of Mary.


Education

Chicago Public Schools operates public schools in the area. The Kedvale campus of Disney II Magnet School is located in the Old Irving Park neighborhood.
Chicago Jewish Day School Chicago Jewish Day School (CJDS) is a private, multi-denominational Jewish day school in Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois, serving over 200 students from junior kindergarten to grade eight. For the 2023-2024 school year, tuition ranges from $21,69 ...
is in the community area.


Politics

The Irving Park community has supported the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...
in the past two presidential elections by large margins. In the
2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kirib ...
, Irving Park cast 15,179 votes for Hillary Clinton and cast 2,673 votes for Donald Trump (80.44% to 14.17%). In the
2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: E ...
, Irving Park cast 13,415 votes for Barack Obama and cast 3,323 votes for
Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...
(78.03% to 19.33%).


Notable people

* Aimee Garcia, actress ( The George Lopez Show, Lucifer,
Dexter Dexter may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003 * Dexter, a fictional character in the British Diary of a Bad Man#Main, web series ''Diar ...
). She spent part of her childhood in Irving Park. * John Nuveen, founder of The John Nuveen Co. which sold the bonds which funded Wacker Drive and Grant Park. He lived in Irving Park during his twenties. *
Frank Piatek Frank Piatek (born 1944) is an American artist, known for abstract, illusionistic paintings of tubular forms and three-dimensional works exploring spirituality, cultural memory and the creative process.Schulze, Franz. "Artists the Critics Are Wat ...
, artist and educator, born and raised in Irving Park.Bojko, Szymon
''Polish-American and Polish Artists in Contemporary American Art''
Oficyna Wydawnicza Kucharski, 2007, p. 249–55. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
*
Jeff Tweedy Jeffrey Scot Tweedy (born August 25, 1967) is an American musician, songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the singer and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, started his music career in high s ...
, songwriter, musician, and record producer best known as the singer and guitarist of the band Wilco is a current resident.


See also

*
Carl Schurz High School Carl Schurz High School is a public 4–year high school located in the Irving Park neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The school is named after German–American Carl Schurz, a statesman, soldier, and advoca ...
*
Community areas of Chicago The city of Chicago is divided into 77 community areas for statistical and planning purposes. United States Census, Census data and other statistics are tied to the areas, which serve as the basis for a variety of urban planning initiatives on ...
* Neighborhoods of Chicago *
Villa District The Villa District, also known as Villa Historic District, ( pl, Polskie Wille) is a historic district in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located on Chicago's Northwest Side within the community area of Irving Park. Its borders are al ...
* Whistle Stop Inn


References


External links


Official City of Chicago Irving Park Community MapOld Irving Park AssociationGreater Independence Park Neighborhood Association
* Chicago Park District *
Horner Park
*
Independence Park
*
Kilbourn Park
{{Geographic location , Center = Irving Park, Chicago , North =
Albany Park, Chicago Albany Park ( ) is one of 77 well-defined community areas of Chicago. Located on the Northwest Side of the City of Chicago with the North Branch of the Chicago River forming its east and north boundaries, it includes the ethnically diverse Alban ...
, Northeast = Lincoln Square, Chicago , East = North Center, Chicago , South = Avondale, Chicago , Southwest =
Hermosa, Chicago Hermosa is one of 77 designated Community areas in Chicago, Chicago community areas and is located on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. The Hermosa community area contains the #Kelvyn Park, Kelvyn Park and #Hermosa, Hermosa neighborhoods. ...
, West = Portage Park, Chicago , Northwest = Forest Glen, Chicago Community areas of Chicago North Side, Chicago Populated places established in 1843 1843 establishments in Illinois