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History, Home by Home A new examination of Hyde Park and Kenwood paints a pleasantly thorough but incomplete picture BY SAM JOYCE
H
is time in Hyde Park, the poet Langston Hughes wrote in the pages of the Chicago Defender, helped him understand how the luxuries of a wealthy neighborhood “can make people who live clean, quiet, library lives scornful of those whose lives are shattered by the roar of the el trains.” But even before white flight and urban renewal turned the neighborhoods into a bubble of wealth on the south lakefront, Hyde Park and Kenwood stood apart from the rest of Chicago, defined by their progressive politics, their role in Chicago’s history, and
the outsized influence of the University of Chicago. John Mark Hansen, a professor of political science at the UofC and a longtime resident of Hyde Park, has taken on the ambitious task of writing The City in a Garden, a “chronicle” of Hyde Park and Kenwood published last December. He explains in the book’s introduction that the book is not a history, or at least that his purpose “is not the historian’s purpose.” Instead, he sets out to “fulfill a resident’s curiosity,” guiding readers through the experiences of residents in past iterations of
the neighborhoods. Accordingly, he’s prepared a book with an unusual structure. Seeking to “emphasize the ‘place-ness’ of our history,” the book moves through the stories of individuals and their homes, always identifying characters by the places they lived. The section on Egyptologist James Henry Breasted, for example, is titled “James Henry Breasted residence • 5615 S. University Ave.” Notably, this format mirrors Hansen’s popular historical bike tours. While he is a leading scholar of American politics, he is best-known on campus for the bike tours of
the South Side he hosts in the spring and fall. The tours visit a selected set of historical sites, where the riders pause and Hansen explains the history of the building and the people who lived there. His book proceeds
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LISTED AT $2,200,000 SIXTEEN-ROOM FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HELLER HOUSE WITH GARAGE
5132 SOUTH WOODLAWN AVENUE This beautiful house differs from later Wright houses, with its high ceilings and large kitchen with 4 pantries. A National Historic Landmark treasure, the house is in fabulous condition and has 7 bedrooms, magnificent oak floors, enormous closets, stained glass windows, 4 fireplaces, new 2-zoned heating & cooling & a newly renovated elevator that services all floors. The third floor can be used as a separate 2-bedroom apartment. On a 75x165 lot, the house has a 2 car garage.
This beautifully updated four-bedroom Greystone, on one of Hyde Park’ s loveliest streets, retains many original architectural features: stained glass windows, hardwood floors, two decorative fireplaces, original built-ins and a grand staircase. Renovated bathrooms include one with a jet tub. The kitchen has white quartz counters, stainless steel appliances, extra storage and an additional breakfast area. Spacious bedrooms on the second floor have high ceilings, crown moldings and stained glass windows.
CO N TAC T U S AT 3 1 2 . 3 37. 24 0 0
16 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
¬ JULY 22, 2020
