Berger Park
Why it's listed
Berger Park occupies 3.34 acres at the northeast corner of North Sheridan Road and West Granville Avenue in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood, beside Lake Michigan. It includes two brick mansions, each with a coach house, plus a playground that does not contribute to the district. The south mansion and its coach house were built in 1906 for contractor Joseph Downey and designed by William Carbys Zimmerman. The north mansion, now the North Lakeside Cultural Center, and its coach house were built in 1910 for Samuel Gunder and designed by Myron Church. Both houses follow the American Four Square form, with a square plan, hipped roof and dormers, and the south house also carries Prairie style details. They are among the last remaining lakeside mansions from Edgewater's early period. The Clerics of St. Viator used the houses from the 1940s until 1979, and the Chicago Park District bought the land in 1981. Restoration in the late 1980s preserved the front facades and many interior details.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1906 - 1910 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Other: American Four Square |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Acreage | 3.3 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | Berger Park (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.