Promontory Point: Lake Michigan at 55th Street, Chicago
1937-1987
50th Anniversary Brochure copied here
by permission of the Hyde Park Historical Society
by John McDermott, Jr. ; edited by Victoria Post Ranney
Special Thanks to:
Chicago Park District
Jean Block
Roland Kulla
Produced by Friends of the Parks and the Hyde Park Historical Society
1937-1987
50th Anniversary Brochure copied here
by permission of the Hyde Park Historical Society
by John McDermott, Jr. ; edited by Victoria Post Ranney
Special Thanks to:
Chicago Park District
Jean Block
Roland Kulla
Produced by Friends of the Parks and the Hyde Park Historical Society
Promontory Point, at 55th Street and Lake Michigan, is a historic landscape and the focal point of Chicago's Burnham Park. Conceived as part of Daniel Burnham's Plan of Chicago in 1909, "the Point" was created by landfill in the 1920's and landscaped in 1937 by Alfred Caldwell in the Prairie School tradition. To Caldwell, the Promontory represented the meeting place of the vast prairie and the Great Lakes, and thus symbolized all that was unique about the landscape of Chicago. Today, after half a century, Caldwell's design can still be recognized, and its spirit makes Promontory Point a favorite retreat for Chicagoans from all walks of life.
An early Chicagoan walking east on 55th Street would have met the lake just east of Everett Avenue. Burnham called for a promontory to be built in the lake near 52nd Street, along with a series of islands and lagoons stretching from 12th Street to Jackson Park. In 1919, the City Council approved a plan to fill in the south lakeshore according to Burnham's plan.
The Commissioners of the South Park District hired the Construction Materials Corporation to construct a breakwater and fill the area inside it with sand. The filling operation, which began at 12th Street and progressed toward the south, reached 55th Street by 1924. There, and not at 52nd Street, it created a promentory.
By 1926, the 55th Street Promontory, as it came to be called, had largely been filled with sand and garbage. The latter component upset the Hyde Park Herald, which complained not only that rubbish was unsightly, but also that the wind blew sand and foul odors into the elegant new apartment buildings nearby.
In 1917, there had been only one such building near 55th Street and the lake, the ten-story apartment house at 5490 South Shore Drive. But in the mid-1920's, the residential area to the west developed rapidly. The huge Shoreland Hotel, at 5440-84 South Shore Drive, was completed in 1926, and the Flamingo Hotel, 5500-20 South Shore Drive, opened in 1927. These buildings began a wave of hotel growth that eventually provided 20,000 rooms in East Hyde Park.
An early Chicagoan walking east on 55th Street would have met the lake just east of Everett Avenue. Burnham called for a promontory to be built in the lake near 52nd Street, along with a series of islands and lagoons stretching from 12th Street to Jackson Park. In 1919, the City Council approved a plan to fill in the south lakeshore according to Burnham's plan.
The Commissioners of the South Park District hired the Construction Materials Corporation to construct a breakwater and fill the area inside it with sand. The filling operation, which began at 12th Street and progressed toward the south, reached 55th Street by 1924. There, and not at 52nd Street, it created a promentory.
By 1926, the 55th Street Promontory, as it came to be called, had largely been filled with sand and garbage. The latter component upset the Hyde Park Herald, which complained not only that rubbish was unsightly, but also that the wind blew sand and foul odors into the elegant new apartment buildings nearby.
In 1917, there had been only one such building near 55th Street and the lake, the ten-story apartment house at 5490 South Shore Drive. But in the mid-1920's, the residential area to the west developed rapidly. The huge Shoreland Hotel, at 5440-84 South Shore Drive, was completed in 1926, and the Flamingo Hotel, 5500-20 South Shore Drive, opened in 1927. These buildings began a wave of hotel growth that eventually provided 20,000 rooms in East Hyde Park.
By 1929, grass was planted on the Promontory. Leif Erickson Drive (now [DuSable] Lake Shore Drive) was opened to traffic, and trees were planted on the portion of the landfill west of the drive. But construction did not proceed until the consolidated Chicago Park District was formed in 1934. At about that time, Fifth Ward Alderman James Cusack began to receive complaints that the Promontory was being used as a makeshift parking lot by the nearby Shoreland Hotel. In an interview shortly before his death in 1986, Cusack said that he used his influence with the Park District's new general superintendent, George T. Donoghue, to have the parking lot removed and the Promontory developed.
Whether or not Cusack's influence played a role, the 55th Street Promontory was designated in 1935 to receive funds and workers from the federal Works Progress Administration [WPA]. It was one of 67 Illinois parks the WPA assisted during the Depression. Thanks to the WPA, the Point was developed the way we know it today.
The planning of the Promontory was assigned to Alfred Caldwell, an architect and landscape architect on the Park District staff. From 1926 to 1931, Caldwell has assisted Jens Jensen, the great landscape architect of Chicago's West Park system and the pre-eminent figure in teh Prairie School movement in his field. Caldwell shared Jensen's devotion to the midwestern landscape and his practice of using only native plants in his parks.
Caldwell began by adding soil to the Promontory, raising the meadow to its present height and creating a hill where a shelter would be built. By the summer of 1936, water and sewer pipes had been laid, and the underpass below Leif Erickson Drive was complete.
Whether or not Cusack's influence played a role, the 55th Street Promontory was designated in 1935 to receive funds and workers from the federal Works Progress Administration [WPA]. It was one of 67 Illinois parks the WPA assisted during the Depression. Thanks to the WPA, the Point was developed the way we know it today.
The planning of the Promontory was assigned to Alfred Caldwell, an architect and landscape architect on the Park District staff. From 1926 to 1931, Caldwell has assisted Jens Jensen, the great landscape architect of Chicago's West Park system and the pre-eminent figure in teh Prairie School movement in his field. Caldwell shared Jensen's devotion to the midwestern landscape and his practice of using only native plants in his parks.
Caldwell began by adding soil to the Promontory, raising the meadow to its present height and creating a hill where a shelter would be built. By the summer of 1936, water and sewer pipes had been laid, and the underpass below Leif Erickson Drive was complete.
Caldwell's planting plan,d ated September 1, 1936, ewliws on indigenous plants. It included 241 American elms, 50 American lindens, and 637 prarie crabapples, as well as sugar maples, American hop hornbeams, and two varieties of hawthorn, the tree which had been one of Jensen's trademarks.
The thick groves of treees and shrubs formed a ring about a large central meadow, which sloped downward gradually toward the path. The ring was interruped at the north, allowing a spectacular view of the downtown skyline, and at the south, where the vast manufacturing districts of South Chicago and Indiana were visible on the horizon. The Point includes two distinct experiences: the lofty meadow, from which the rocks along the water cannot be seen, and the rocks themselves, from which the meadow cannot be seen. Plantings on the outer edge of the peninsula once reinforced this distinction.
Caldwell said in a 1986 interview that he had conceived of the Promontory as "a place you go to and you are thrilled -- beautiful experience, a joy, a delight." He sought to convey "a sense of space and a sense of the power of nature and the power of the sea."
A member of the Park District's architectural staff, E.V. Buchsbaum, designed the Shelter (now better known as the fieldhouse). Construction began in 1936 and was finished the next year. The walls of the building were made of a stone called Lannon, which was quarried in Wisconsin. Caldwell, an architectural modernist, tolerated the building, though he felt it was too heavy for the site and of little architectural value. Buchsbaum felt he was creating a "picturesque, distinctive building," and that its playful allusions to a castle or a lighthouse were appropriate for the setting.
The Promontory was opened to the public in 1937. Caldwell, who was busy with other Park District projects, including the Lily Pond in Lincoln Park, felt that the plantings were complete and perfect.
After 1937, the area received various small improvements. Benches were erected in May, 1938. Boulders called for by Caldwell's plan were set in place in March, 1939. Also in that year, the Park District dedicated the David Wallach Memorial, a bronze sculpture of a resting fawn set on a marble fountain. The fawn was sculpted by Elizabeth Haseltine Hibbard and the fountain was designed by her husband, Frederick Cleveland Hibbard. Little is known about David Wallach, who at his death in 1894, left a bequest for afountain in a park for "man and beast." True to his wish, teh monument has a drinking fountain at ground level which has been enjoyed by generations of local beasts.
In the late 1930's and 1940's, the Promontory Shelter became a busy center for square dances, scout meetings and other activities.
In 1953, the U.S. Army leased land from the Park District for a Nike missile base on a Jackson Park meadow. Soon afterward, it took part of Promontory Point for a radar site. The radar towers stood south of the fieldhouse on a large tract surrounded by a barbed-wire fence. One of the towers reached 150 feet in height, and all of them dwarfed the turret of the fieldhouse.
Many neighborhood residents resented the radar towers and their placement on the Point, but protests became vocal only in the Vietnam era. After the radar towers finally came down in 1971, there was a victory rally with the slogan, "We've won our Point."
The thick groves of treees and shrubs formed a ring about a large central meadow, which sloped downward gradually toward the path. The ring was interruped at the north, allowing a spectacular view of the downtown skyline, and at the south, where the vast manufacturing districts of South Chicago and Indiana were visible on the horizon. The Point includes two distinct experiences: the lofty meadow, from which the rocks along the water cannot be seen, and the rocks themselves, from which the meadow cannot be seen. Plantings on the outer edge of the peninsula once reinforced this distinction.
Caldwell said in a 1986 interview that he had conceived of the Promontory as "a place you go to and you are thrilled -- beautiful experience, a joy, a delight." He sought to convey "a sense of space and a sense of the power of nature and the power of the sea."
A member of the Park District's architectural staff, E.V. Buchsbaum, designed the Shelter (now better known as the fieldhouse). Construction began in 1936 and was finished the next year. The walls of the building were made of a stone called Lannon, which was quarried in Wisconsin. Caldwell, an architectural modernist, tolerated the building, though he felt it was too heavy for the site and of little architectural value. Buchsbaum felt he was creating a "picturesque, distinctive building," and that its playful allusions to a castle or a lighthouse were appropriate for the setting.
The Promontory was opened to the public in 1937. Caldwell, who was busy with other Park District projects, including the Lily Pond in Lincoln Park, felt that the plantings were complete and perfect.
After 1937, the area received various small improvements. Benches were erected in May, 1938. Boulders called for by Caldwell's plan were set in place in March, 1939. Also in that year, the Park District dedicated the David Wallach Memorial, a bronze sculpture of a resting fawn set on a marble fountain. The fawn was sculpted by Elizabeth Haseltine Hibbard and the fountain was designed by her husband, Frederick Cleveland Hibbard. Little is known about David Wallach, who at his death in 1894, left a bequest for afountain in a park for "man and beast." True to his wish, teh monument has a drinking fountain at ground level which has been enjoyed by generations of local beasts.
In the late 1930's and 1940's, the Promontory Shelter became a busy center for square dances, scout meetings and other activities.
In 1953, the U.S. Army leased land from the Park District for a Nike missile base on a Jackson Park meadow. Soon afterward, it took part of Promontory Point for a radar site. The radar towers stood south of the fieldhouse on a large tract surrounded by a barbed-wire fence. One of the towers reached 150 feet in height, and all of them dwarfed the turret of the fieldhouse.
Many neighborhood residents resented the radar towers and their placement on the Point, but protests became vocal only in the Vietnam era. After the radar towers finally came down in 1971, there was a victory rally with the slogan, "We've won our Point."
Few activities tood place in the fieldhouse in the 1970's, but the Point itself got a good deal of use -- from cyclists, joggers, picknickers, and swimmers. The park attracted a diverse group of people, young and old, black and white.
Recently, the use of the fieldhouse has increased. In 1981, a number of Hyde Park organizations and individuals, concerned about the closing of the local YMCA, came together to found the Hyde Park Recreation Alliance. Pressure from the Alliance led the Park District to create a summer day camp based in the building. The camp began in 1984 with 30 children, and continues to grow each year.
For the 50th anniversary of Promontory Point in 1987, a group of landscape architects carefully surveyed the Point, comparing the original landscape features executed under Caldwell with the landscape of today. Though few of the original shrubs and trees remain, and lake damage has badly eroded the perimeter, the basic features and open spirit of the design can be seen. Park District officials and the public, recognizing the place of Promontory Point in Chicago's past and its value in the present, should work to restore for future generations this historic prairie landscape on the lake.
Recently, the use of the fieldhouse has increased. In 1981, a number of Hyde Park organizations and individuals, concerned about the closing of the local YMCA, came together to found the Hyde Park Recreation Alliance. Pressure from the Alliance led the Park District to create a summer day camp based in the building. The camp began in 1984 with 30 children, and continues to grow each year.
For the 50th anniversary of Promontory Point in 1987, a group of landscape architects carefully surveyed the Point, comparing the original landscape features executed under Caldwell with the landscape of today. Though few of the original shrubs and trees remain, and lake damage has badly eroded the perimeter, the basic features and open spirit of the design can be seen. Park District officials and the public, recognizing the place of Promontory Point in Chicago's past and its value in the present, should work to restore for future generations this historic prairie landscape on the lake.
The south lakefront of Chicago as proposed by Daniel Burnham in his 1909 Plan of Chicago. The Burnham Plan called for construction of a promontory at 52nd Street, with outlying islands in the lake. When Promontory Point was created by lakefill in the 1920's, it was built three blocks further south, and had a rounder outline. Construction of the islands was deferred to an indefinite future date.
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2000 - 2007: Save the Point
After high lake levels in the 1980s, the Chicago Park District, City of Chicago (CDOT), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers worked together to develop a $300 million plan to repair and replace the aging revetments along the City’s entire lakefront. This plan called for repair and/or replacement of the revetments as originally built with limestone blocks. However, when construction began on the lakefront in Lincoln Park, the limestone revetments were replaced by tiers of concrete instead. In 2000, the Park District and the City’s Department of the Environment presented preliminary plans for proposed changes to Promontory Point’s revetments. The officials “told residents there was no way to save the limestone—the rocks were crumbling under pressure from the water.” Many of the Hyde Parkers at the meeting strongly believed that the step-stone revetments were a critical element of Promontory Point’s historic landscape. They were aware that the limestone revetments had been repaired in the past, and they believed they could be saved. |
The following year, the community formed a task force, raised funds, and hired coastal engineer Cyril Galvin, to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether preserving the step-stone revetments could be a viable option. Galvin’s report determined that revetment repairs could be undertaken in a manner that preserves the step-stone edge. At this time, the government agencies intended to move forward with the concrete option. However, the State Historic Preservation Office did issue a letter of no adverse effect for the concrete plan at Promontory Point in June 2002 which stopped demolition plans.
By 2006, many groups rallied together to call for an alternative construction option that would save the step-stone revetments. The Promontory Point Task Force received support from several organizations including Hyde Park Historical Society, Landmarks Illinois, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as well officials such as U.S. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., and then U.S. Senator Barack Obama. As a result of several meetings held in 2006 and the strong public support for a preservation approach, the government agencies agreed concensus on a Scope of Work and alternative preservation plans would be prepared. However, as of 2021, no Federal or State funding was earmarked so work at the Point stalled out indefinitely.
Despite its deteriorating but still functioning revetment and somewhat sparser plantings, Burnham Park’s Promontory Point remains one of the most significant historic landscapes on the lakefront and most beloved spots on the city’s South Side. Caldwell said that Promontory Point was “a place you go to and you are thrilled— a beautiful experience, a joy, a delight.” Without question, Promontory Point remains such a place today.
In 2002, the Chicago Park District (CPD) and the City (CDOT) put forward a “concrete/compromise” design that would have demolished the limestone revetment, replaced it with concrete, leaving only an ornamental row of stones at the top and severely restricted access to the water. The community rejected this plan.
In 2002-2004, as Save the Point, the community funded its own engineering design studies that demonstrated the historic limestone revetment could be restored. In fact, it was:
- cheaper than demolition and new construction of concrete and steel
- studier and more durable than the concrete found on the rest of the City lakefront
- much more accessible and inclusive with ADA adaptation
The US Army Corps of Engineers' Preservation Center weighed in, agreeing with the community-funded engineering report that the limestone could be restored and at less or the same cost as demolition and concrete. And in 2002, SHPO, Illinois Historic Preservation Office, issues a letter of adverse effects rejecting the City's concrete and steel plan.
In 2006, then-Senator Obama stepped in and started a new design process that would ensure restoration of the Point with:
- maximum historic limestone;
- minimum concrete; and
- safe and generous access (ADA compliance) for all to both the revetment and the water
This process was stalled out by the City even though Promontory Point Conservancy continued to meet and talk regularly with governmental agencies and elected officials.
