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Local Landmarks & Heritage

  • Oriole Park (Chicago Park District)
  • Oriole Park Elementary School
  • St. Eugene Catholic Church and School
  • Norwood Park Metra Station

Neighborhood History

Oriole Park takes its name from the ballfield and playground built along Oriole Avenue in 1931, itself named for the surrounding subdivision within the Norwood Park community. As late as 1930 the area was still sparsely settled and semi-rural, a mile from the Northwestern Railway's Norwood Park station. The neighborhood filled in through the 1920s as newly affordable automobiles let middle-class families move further from the city center, and residents' campaigning through the 77th Avenue Improvement Club led the Edison Park District to purchase the swampy parkland in 1931.

The park itself, absorbed into the Chicago Park District when 22 independent park boards consolidated in 1934, has grown to nearly 20 acres of ballfields and playgrounds. Oriole Park Elementary School sits at its center, while St. Eugene Catholic Church and School serves families nearby. The historic Norwood Park train station, a mile to the east, remains the rail anchor that first drew settlement to the area.

From a swampy playground purchase to a full-fledged park district anchor, Oriole Park's century of quiet growth is a history worth wearing on your own home turf.

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Oriole Park - Chicago - Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie

Oriole Park - Chicago - Unisex Heavy Blend Hoodie

Regular price $46.95 CAD
Regular price Sale price $46.95 CAD
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Oriole Park is named for the ballfield and playground opened along Oriole Avenue in 1931, after residents campaigned for parkland. Middle-class families filled the area in the automobile era, and the park now covers nearly 20 acres.

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