| Address | 2500 W. Lunt Avenue, Chicago, IL |
|---|---|
| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Clarence Hatzfeld |
| Status | Designated Chicago Landmark |
| Designation Date | May 11, 2005 (Final)City Council Journal of the Proceedings, p. 47857 |
| Neighborhood | West Ridge |
| Type | Park and landscape |
| Landmark ID | L-120 |
Interior spaces protected by this designation
- The first floor Assembly Hall interior, including its original chandeliers, wall sconces, fireplace, and hanging relief sculpture of a Native American;
- The first floor lobby interior and L-shaped main corridor leading to the Assembly Hall
Indian Boundary Park Fieldhouse, Preliminary Summary of Information, p. 19.
Direct quotes from the Chicago Landmark Designation Report
“Creation of Indian Boundary Park enhanced nearby real estate development, as land values surrounding the park skyrocketed during the 1920s. Particularly distinctive were a magnificent ensemble of Gothic and Tudor Revival style courtyard apartment buildings erected along the park's eastern boundary during the mid-1920s to take advantage of its lovely setting.”
“The building was included in the AIA Guide to Chicago. In 1995, Indian Boundary Park and its fieldhouse were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the fieldhouse was rated "orange" and identified as significant in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey.”
“These buildings also exhibit fine craftsmanship and detailing with the use of stone ornamentation and patterned brickwork. The Indian Boundary Park Cultural Center, with its Native American imagery, is the most unusual of Hatzfeld's Tudor Revival designs.”
“The building was designed in the Tudor Revival style, a Medieval-inspired style popular during the 1920s and somewhat unusual for institutional buildings in Chicago. Its picturesque appearance is achieved through the use of dramatic gables with broad, shed roofed dormers; a profusion of half timbering; casement windows with multi-paned glazing arranged in groups; and a window bay topped by stone battlements.”
“John G. Carlson of 4937 N. Francisco Avenue, who submitted the low bid of $44,265, served as general contractor for the project. Carl Barkman, who was paid $935 for his work in "decorating" the building, may have been the artist responsible for designing its various lighting fixtures and sculpture depicting Native American motifs.”
“The building exhibits excellent design and craftsmanship in detailing and materials, including the use of rusticated corner quoins, patterned brickwork, a stone Indian head sculpture above the main entrance, and entrance pylons topped by stone lions.”
“The Indian Boundary Park Fieldhouse, with its Native American imagery, is the most unusual of Hatzfeld's Tudor Revival designs. Indian Boundary Park also retains its original entrance pylons, which pre-date the 1929 fieldhouse.”
“Soon the Lincoln Park and West Park Commissions followed suit, as did the numerous other neighborhood park commissions in Chicago. Between 1912 and 1931, the Ridge Avenue Park District created four neighborhood parks in the West Ridge community, including Indian Boundary, Morse, Chippewa, and Pottawattomie Parks, which ranged in size from one-half acre to thirteen acres.”
“Hatzfeld's versatility as an architect is demonstrated by the wide variety of styles he used in his fieldhouse designs, including Prairie, Georgian Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival.”
“Hatzfeld designed a number of distinctive fieldhouses for Chicago's North Side parks during the 1920s. They were built in a variety of styles, including Prairie (Independence Park Fieldhouse), Georgian Revival (Kilbourn Park Fieldhouse), and Spanish Colonial Revival (Athletic Field Park Fieldhouse).”