Location:
9650 S. Avenue M
Chicago, IL 60617
Phone Numbers:
Main
(312) 747-6607
Hours
Park Hours
Description
Located in the East Side community, Pietrowski Park is 0.66 acres and it includes an outdoor basketball court. This location is currently closed.
History
Originally known as Avenue "M" Park for the adjacent street, Pietrowski Park was established by the City of Chicago on Board of Education property in 1928. By 1950, the half-acre park included a playing field and a shelter house, and part of the property was flooded for ice skating in winter. The City's Bureau of Parks and Recreation maintained the park until 1959, when the Chicago Park District began managing the site. In 1991, the Board of Education transferred ownership of the park to the Chicago Park District and thereafter the District installed a soft surface playground area and a community garden.
Pietrowski Park is one of three Chicago parks named in honor of a group of firemen who perished in a disaster fire on March 1, 1957. Fireman Second Class Sylvester L. Pietrowski (1920-1957), along with fellow firefighters Howard J. Strohacker (1909-1957) and George L. Donovan (1916-1957), perished when the factory of the Lawrence Corporation, a shortening manufacturer, exploded, burying the three in tons of debris. At the time of his death, Pietrowski lived one mile north of the park site, at 8818 South Buffalo.
Map & Facilities
Pietrowski Basketball Court
