125 W. Fullerton Parkway, Chicago, IL 60614
Restoration Facts and Visitor Information
Details
By the 1950s, Caldwell’s 1936 Lily Pool design deteriorated and was loaned to the Lincoln Park Zoo as an avian exhibit known as “The Rookery.” This caused further deterioration and, eventually, the zoo no longer required it. The Chicago Park District closed the site to the public for many years. Weedy trees and shrubs grew unchecked, stonework broke, hillsides eroded, wildflowers died, and the pool filled with debris until the Lincoln Park Conservancy came to its rescue. We raised $1.1 million in private funding for the project and the Chicago Park District allocated $1.3 million from its capital budget.
Restoration Status: Completed Spring 2002
Final Project Cost: $2.4 million
Owned and Managed By: The Chicago Park District
Maintenance, Programming and Event Permits By: The Lincoln Park Conservancy
Original Landscape Architect: Alfred Caldwell (1903 – 1998)
Restoration Project Credits: Wolff Clements and Associates, Eifler & Associates, Clauss Brothers, Inc., Applied Ecological Services, Weber Consultants, Infrastructure Engineering, The Care of Trees.
National Historic Landmark Status: Designated on February 17, 2006
Chicago Landmark Status: Designated on November 6, 2002
Project Awards:
- City of Chicago Office of the Mayor, 2003 Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence – Landscape Restoration.
- The American Institute of Architects, Chicago Chapter – 2003 Distinguished Building Award – Special Recognition for Restoration of Pavilion and Entry Gate
- American Society of Landscape Architects, Illinois Chapter – Honor Award for Rehabilitation of the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool
- Richard H. Driehaus Foundation 2002 Preservation Award for Landscape Restoration.
Size: 2.7 acres
