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Fuller Park's original courtyard had pavement and children's sand courts with the…
Location:
331 W. 45th St
Chicago, IL 60609
Located Within:
Fuller (Melville) Park
Installed:
1993
Features:
Outdoor, Fountain
Description
Edward H. Bennett (1874–1954) of the renowned architectural firm of D.H. Burnham & Co. designed Fuller Park’s field house complex which was completed in 1912. The classically-inspired structure had an open courtyard with sand courts and diagonal walkways leading to a decorative fountain, symmetrically placed in the center of the space. The Chicago Park District demolished the original terra cotta and concrete fountain sometime around the mid-1940s when the entire courtyard was paved in asphalt. The courtyard remained a foreboding paved space for over forty years.
In 1993, the Park District renovated the courtyard. The project included new walkways composed of concrete pavers that are similar in appearance and configuration to the historic walks. A new central fountain made of a modified concrete material emulates the appearance of the original fountain. Although the historic courtyard had only a small amount of greenery, the project included the addition of lawn, trees, and shrubs, and the site was transformed into a lush, landscape that is well-used and appreciated by park patrons today.