Washington Square Park (Chicago)

Infobox_nrhp | name =Washington Square


caption = Washington Square Park (Background: Newberry Library)
location = 901 N. Clark St., Chicago, Illinois
lat_degrees = 41
lat_minutes = 53
lat_seconds = 57.12
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 87
long_minutes = 37
long_seconds = 50.13
long_direction = W
area =
built = September 4, 1842 (donation date)
added = May 20, 1991cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2008-04-15|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Local (Chicago Park District)
mpsub=Chicago Park District MPS
refnum=91000566

Washington Square, also known as Washington Square Park, is a park in Chicago, Illinois. A registered historic landmark that is better known by its nickname Bughouse Square (derived from the slang of bughouse referring to mental health facilities), it was the most celebrated open air free-speech center in the country as well as a popular Chicago tourist attraction. It was located across Walton Street from Newberry Library at 901 N. Clark Street in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois, USA.Rosemont, Franklin "Bughouse Square", Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004 "The Encyclopedia of Chicago", pp. 99. The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9] It is Chicago's oldest existing small park.Pacyga, Dominic A., "Playgrounds and Small Parks", Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004 "The Encyclopedia of Chicago", pp. 622. The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9] It is one of 4 Chicago Park District parks named after persons surnamed Washington (Washington Park, Harold Washington Park, Dinah Washington Park). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 20, 1991.

Washington Square Historic District

The neighboring Washington Square Historic District was later added to the register August 21, 2003. The Washington Square District was declared a Chicago Landmark on May 16, 1991 and Washington Square District Extension was declared a Chicago Landmark on July 10, 2002.cite web|url=http://www.cityofchicago.org/Landmarks/W/WashingtonSq.html|accessdate=2007-03-30|date=2003|publisher=City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division|title=Washington Square District and Extension] A second extension was declared a Chicago Landmark on May 11, 2005.

Origin

On September 4, 1842,Graf, John, "Chicago's Parks" Arcadia Publishing, 2000, p. 97., ISBN 0-7385-0716-4] the city received a three-acre parcel that was donated by the members of the American Land Company for use as a public park. The property had once been a cow path with a well for farmers to water their cattle. ] The donors named contributed the name Washington Square. Between 1869 and the 1890s, the city improved Washington Square with lawn, trees, bisecting diagonal walks, limestone coping, picket fencing and an attractive Victorian fountain. By the time Alderman McCormick became President of Drainage Board in 1906, the fountain had been razed and the park had deteriorated. Alderman McCormick devoted his aldermanic salary to improving the park. He donated a $600 fountain, and the city allocated an additional $10,000 to rehabilitate the park. By the 1910s, the neighborhood surrounding Washington Square had become more diverse.cite web |author= Duo Consulting |url= http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.results.cfm |title= Washington Square Park |publisher= Chicago Park District|year=2006 |accessdate=2007-01-02 ]

History

The original purpose of the neighborhood park was as a place of assembly to discuss community issues. ] Chicago has a long storied history of public speeches both for entertainment and educational purposes. The Haymarket Riot first started as an anarchist workers rally. Daniel Burnham’s March 27, 1897 lecture for the Commercial Club of Chicago inspired the club to provide $80,000 to publish the Burnham Plan.Boehm, Lisa Krissoff, "Lectures and Public Speaking", Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004 "The Encyclopedia of Chicago", pp. 466. The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9]

Washington Square Park has been the geographic center of Chicago public speeches. By the 1890s the park acquired its Bughouse Square moniker. Soapbox orators waxed on topics ranging from gender relations to Communism ] It served as a home for soapbox orators on warm-weather evenings from the 1910s to the mid-1960s. Like Speakers' Corner in London's Hyde Park, Washington Square became a popular spot for soap box orators. Artists, writers, political radicals, and hobos pontificated, lectured, recited poetry, ranted and raved. A group of regulars formed "The Dill Pickle Club," devoted to free expression. For years Washington Square orators appointed their own honorary "king." ] In its heyday in the 1920s and 1930s, revolutionary left soapboxers were occasionally joined by poets, religionists and cranks. ] In 1959, the city transferred Washington Square to the Chicago Park District. ] In 1964 "Life" Magazine featured an article saying that it was a meeting place for cottaging among homosexuals ["Life", June 26, 1964, page 68] . Six years later, it played host to Chicago's first Gay Pride March. Chicago Gay Pride, 1971, pamphlet avail. in stacks of Newberry Library, Chicago] cite web |url= http://www.newberry.org/outspoken/exhibit/objectlist_section3.html |title= Outspoken: Chicago's Free Speech Tradition |publisher= Newberry Library |accessdate=2007-07-08]

Landmark districts

The original 1990 Washington Square Park District Chicago Landmark designation included the park, Newberry Library, 60 West Walton Street and 915 to 929 North Dearborn Street. The first Chicago Landmark district extension in 2002 included 22-28 and 27-31 West Chestnut Street and 802-818, 827-867, 1012, 1023-1029 and 1150-1154 North Dearborn Street. The 2005 extension added the Isaac Maynard Row Houses located at 119-123 West Delaware Place.cite paper| title=CHICAGO LANDMARKS: Individual Landmarks and Landmark Districts designated as of January 1, 2008|publisher=Commission on Chicago Landmarks|date=2008-01-01|url=http://www.tonythetiger.frih.net/CCL_Booklet_1-1-08.pdf|format=PDF] The National Register of Historic Places included Washington Square as well as North Dearborn Street from West Walton Street to West Chicago Avenue. [cite web|url=http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/IL/Cook/state9.html|title=Historic Districts: ILLINOIS - Cook County|accessdate=2008-02-20|publisher=National Register of Historic Places|work=nationalregisterofhistoricalplaces.com]

Today

Every July, the Bughouse Square Committee continues to oversee the annual Bughouse Square Debates free speech gathering in conjunction with the Newberry Library’s annual book sale. The debates are part of an annual festival to recreate the atmosphere of speeches and debates by soap box orators that once flourished in the park.

Although Alderman McCormick's fountain was removed in the 1970s, in the late 1990s, the park district, the city, and neighborhood organizations agreed on a restoration plan for Washington Square. Improvements include a reconstructed historic fountain, period lighting, fencing, and new plantings. In the west part of the park, there is a memorial tablet designating the park as "Chicago's Premier Free Speech Forum."

Related fora

*Jack Jones’s Dill Pickle Club, also known as the indoor Bughouse Square.Rosemont, Franklin "Free Speech", Eds. Grossman, James R., Keating, Ann Durkin, and Reiff, Janice L., 2004 "The Encyclopedia of Chicago", pp. 316. The University of Chicago Press, ISBN 0-226-31015-9]
*Washington Park forum, also known as the Bug Club. ]

ee also

*Washington Park, Chicago

Notes

External links

: [http://egov.cityofchicago.org/webportal/COCWebPortal/COC_ATTACH/Community_Areas_NEAR_NORTH_SIDE.pdf Official City of Chicago Near North Side Community Map] : [http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.detail/object_id/903ED439-8529-4E2B-951B-83E060D96BBF.cfm Chicago Park District Page]