Thuis (Grace Zwiefka) Playlot (c/o Jefferson Park)
Park Description Was formerly known asLavergne Playlot Park.
History
Grace Zwiefka Thuis was an exemplary Chicago Park District employee for more than 60 years. Born and raised in Chicago, she began her long tenure with the Chicago Park District in 1933 as a Physical Instructor at Holstein Park. In 1970, she became General Supervisor of Physical Activities, placing her in charge of women’s recreation for the entire city. In 1990, she was inducted into the City of Chicago Senior Citizen’s Hall of Fame, and in 1994 she was named the Chicago Park District Senior Citizen of the Year.
First planned by the City of Chicago's Bureau of Parks and Recreationin 1951, the site was originally namedfor its adjacent street, North Lavergne. In 1959, the city transferred the site to the Chicago Park District, which rehabilitated the park with a soft surface playground in 1990. In 2005,the Chicago Park District renamedthe sitein memory of Grace Zwiefka Thuis as partof an initiative to recognizesignificant women.