Armour Square Park - Chicago, IL
Posted by: 
cldisme
N 41° 50.071 W 087° 38.072
16T E 447313 N 4631597
Constructed in 1905, Armour Square Park tried to tie a community together.
Waymark Code: WM299G
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 09/25/2007
Views: 68
In 1906, the year after Armour Square opened to the public, President Theodore Roosevelt described the square and nine other related properties as "the most notable civic achievement in any American city." The South Park Commission created the ten new innovative parks to improve the difficult living conditions in Chicago's congested tenement districts.
Nationally renowned landscape architects the Olmsted Brothers and architects Daniel H. Burnham and Co. designed the entire system. The first ten included five squares smaller than ten acres in size, and five parks larger than ten acres.
In addition to Armour Square, these were Mark White, Russell, Davis, and Cornell Squares, and Ogden, Sherman, Palmer, Bessemer, and Hamilton Parks. These properties soon influenced the development of other parks throughout the nation.
The field house concept of Armour Square Park was an important new development in American 20th century park design. It was intended to provide facilities for physical recreation rather than the passive recreational contact with 'Nature' provided in the 19th century naturalistic park.
It was envisioned as a place where youths from less affluent homes would learn to become good American citizens through playing team sports that emphasised cooperation. In this way it was hoped that ethnic differences would be erased.
These formal parks were zoned into areas for small children, boys and young men, girls, and young women, and buildings that provided swimming pools and athletic facilities. No attempt was made to evoke 'Nature' in any of these areas.
The current layout of Armour Square Park is very similar to the original design created over a century ago.
Type of Public Space: Park and fieldhouse
Job Number: 01916
Architect: Listed as Olmsted Brothers, additional research indicates John Olmsted may have been the main contributor
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Visit Instructions:
There are no specific visit requirements, however telling about your visit is strongly encouraged. Additional photos of the park to add to the gallery are also nice, but not required. Pictures with a GPS or you in them is highly discouraged.