Normandy Playground Park
History
Normandy Park is one of many new parks created by the City of Chicago to meet increasing recreational needs after World War II. The surrounding Garfield Ridge community experienced a remarkable building boom after the war, when nearby industrial development drew many new residents. Between 1940 and 1960, population jumped from just under 7,000 to more than 40,000. The city identified two-and-a-half acres in the far western section of the neighborhood for park development in 1955. The following year, the Bureau of Parks and Recreation drew up park plans that included a small fieldhouse, volleyball and basketball courts, two softball diamonds, a spray pool, and playground equipment. Following common practice at the time, the park was named for the adjacent street, Normandy Avenue. The street name honors the Normandy region of France, coincidentally the site of the pivotal Allied invasion of Europe in 1944. The city transferred Normandy Park to the Chicago Park District in 1959, along with more than 250 other properties.
