Riis, Jacob A., Park
Also known as: Park #123
Why it's listed
Jacob A. Riis Park occupies 56.84 acres on Chicago's northwest side. The land was bought in 1916 and named for the reformer, journalist and author Jacob A. Riis, but little was built until 1928. Residents petitioned for years for a fieldhouse, ball fields and other facilities. Walter W. Ahlschlager designed the red brick fieldhouse, completed in 1929, which combines Georgian Revival and French Renaissance elements. After Chicago's park commissions merged into the Chicago Park District in 1934, Works Progress Administration funds paid for a comfort station, swimming pool and pool house, pergola, service building, tennis courts and a running track. Alfred Caldwell designed the western half as a naturalistic landscape of meadows, a limestone-edged lagoon and a wall of trees called Crabapple Lane, set along an ancient glacial shoreline ridge. The activity-oriented eastern half and the wooded western half remain largely as planned. A boulder monument to Riis, in place by 1932, also contributes to the district.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the park is significant for its landscape architecture, architecture, social history and recreation. It contains Caldwell's Prairie style landscape and Ahlschlager's 1929 fieldhouse, and it shows how a middle-class neighborhood and the newly consolidated Chicago Park District, aided by WPA funding, created a full-service community park.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 95000483, listed April 20, 1995. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 6100 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | April 20, 1995 |
| Reference number | 95000483 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1928-1944 |
| Architect / builder | Walter W. Ahlschlager (fieldhouse); Alfred Caldwell (landscape design); Chicago Park District (overall layout) |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Georgian Revival; French Renaissance |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Social History, Entertainment/Recreation |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Park remains in use as a park with recreation facilities; the comfort station now houses a Chicago Park District regional office. |
| Acreage | 56.8 |
| Coordinates | 41.92562, -87.77873 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 95000483.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7333933
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.