Harold Washington Park

Infobox park
park=Harold Washington Park


image size=250px
caption=Harold Washington Park and Hampton House (2006-10-22)
type=Municipal
location=Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
coordinates=
size=
opened=
operator=Chicago Park District
annual visitors=
status=Open all year

Harold Washington Park is a small (10 acre)cite web |author= Duo Consulting |url= http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/parks.results.cfm |title= Harold Washington Playlot Park |publisher= Chicago Park District|year=2006 |accessdate=2007-01-01 ] park in the Chicago Park District located in the Hyde Park community area on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was recently named for lawyer, state legislator, U.S. congressman, Hyde Park resident, and the first Chicago Mayor of African-American descent Harold Washington (1922-1987). The Park District officially calls the park Harold Washington Playlot Park with a designated address of 5200 S. Hyde Park Blvd Chicago, IL 60615. ] It is one of 4 Chicago Park District parks named after persons surnamed Washington (Washington Park, Washington Square Park, Dinah Washington Park). It is one of 40 Chicago Park District parks named after influential African Americans. [cite web|url=http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/news.detail/object_id/c95126a8-4d2b-4401-8ac9-560e970dfb43.cfm|accessdate=March 15|accessyear=2007|title=Chicago Parks Commemorate Influential African Americans Impacting the City's History|date=2007-01-19|publisher=Chicago Park District ] The Park is bounded by East 53rd Street on the south, South Hyde Park Boulevard on the west, and Lake Shore Drive to the east. [The northern boundary of the park is difficult to determine as it is unclear whether the park includes the area between South Chicago Beach Drive and Lake Shore Drive north of East Hyde Park Boulevard (51st Street)] Architecturally, it is flanked to the north by Regents Park ( [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/cx/?id=101494 see emporis.com page] ) and The Hampton House to the south. In addition its southwest corner opposes two National Register of Historic Places Properties (Hotel Del Prado and East Park Towers).

History

The Park was originally bequeathed to the city in 1906 by Paul Cornell as commemorated by the Paul Cornell Stone. It was then called "East End Park". In 1919, it was transferred to the South Park Commission. In 1927, it became part of Burnham Park. The park district renamed the site Harold Washington Park in 1992. ] Until recently (c. 2004) when Park District signs were posted it had been referred to as Cornell Park by many local residents.

Facilities

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footer = The park's southwest corner opposes two National Register of Historic Places
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caption1 = East Park Towers


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caption2 = Hotel Del PradoThe park is mostly used by picnicing neighborhood residents and is particularly popular during the summer holidays (Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day). The park has 8 tennis courts, an elaborate soft surface children's playground, a bathhouse and a boat pond. The park is best known for its South American Monk Parakeet nests. At 51st street, a there is an overpass leading from the park to the bike path between Lake Shore Drive and Lake Michigan.

Boat Pond

The boat pond is mistakenly referred to as a duck pond by many local residents because it is frequented during the summer by ducks and is rarely used for recreational model boats. However, the pond has no aquatic or plant life forms (excluding weeds protruding through former cracks in the seal) to support ducks. In 2006, pool was designated for repair and was not filled. Reconstruction began in the fall. The pool is being resurfaced and a sculpture will be placed in the center and dedicated in the Spring of 2007.

Parakeet nests

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caption1 = Tennis courts, playlot, boat pond. Background: Lake Shore Drive & Lake Michigan


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caption2 = "22Oct2006"


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caption3 = Independence Day festivitiesIn the 1980's,Stevens, Mike, "Parakeet Home Topples", Hyde Park Herald, June 16, 2004] cite web |author= Millett, Katherine |url= http://chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/winter2003/monkparakeets.html |title= Monk Parakeets: Urban Outsiders |publisher= Chicago Wilderness Magazine, Inc. |year= 2003 |accessdate=2007-01-03 ] a dozen or so South American Monk Parakeets were released into the park directly across the street from the Hampton House. They settled in a large Ash tree. By the summer of 1988 bird watchers counted two dozen birds in the original tree. The population has continued to redouble frequently. The park, which is in the Chicago Park District has been renamed Harold Washington Park. The flock, known to many as Harold's Parakeets, has grown to a few hundred birds that nest throughout this park, Burnham Park and Jackson Park on the South Side of Chicago. The original tree became infested with termites and collapsed on June 12, 2004.cite news |url=http://docs.newsbank.com/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CTRB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=10335F0244142134&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=AA98CDC331574F0ABEAFF732B33DC0B2 |title=Hyde Park parakeets ' home falls - Large tree topples; nests for 50 saved |author=Rybarczyk, Tom |date=2004-06-14 |accessdate=2008-01-26 |publisher=Chicago Tribune] Over 50 birds were displaced by the collapse. The nests were replaced in other nearby trees. Birdwatchers come from around the world to see this flock of birds. The birds have been a hotly contested issue pitting the U.S. Department of Agriculture against local politicians and the Harold Washington Memorial Parrot Defense Fund.

Alternate theories for the original population of birds are
* Harold Washington released a dozen or so birds during his local residence.
* A small flock of the birds escaped from a commercial shipment.
* A small flock of the birds escaped from a residential birdcage.

Regardless of their origins, the flock was ably defended by the Mayor who foiled attempts to have them removed from the local park.

External links

* [http://www.hydepark.org/parks/haroldwashhomepage.htm HydePark.org Page]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=5200+South+Hyde+Park+Boulevard+Chicago,+IL+60615&ie=UTF8&z=17&ll=41.802415,-87.584016&spn=0.006846,0.016565&t=h&om=1 Google Maps]

ee also

Washington Park, Chicago

Notes