The Park Governments of Chicago 151 



graded and there are no sidewalks. A survey made by the Bureau 

 in September, 1911, of approximately 2x3^4 miles of territory 

 wherein the park is near the center showed there were even then 

 only approximately 1,000 houses (5,000 people) in this area or 

 within ordinary walking distance of the park. There are no flat 

 buildings in the neighborhood and all the houses have either front 

 or back yards or both. There are many vacant lots, and when the 

 Bureau inspectors visited the district more children were play- 

 ing in the vacant lots than in the park. 



On October 1, 1911, about ninety dump cars and thirty 

 wheel scrapers were in the park exposed to the damaging effects 

 of the weather. The last time they were u.sed was for 11 days 

 in the spring of 1909. 



IV. SOUTH PARK ADMINISTRATION BUILDING 



THE OLD BUILDING 



During the year 1897, the South Park Board decided to 

 provide a building in Washington Park for the business offices 

 of the Board. The phaeton cottage, v/hich stood at the inter- 

 section of Oakwood and Drexel Boulevards, was moved to the 

 easterly side of the park and located just north of the line of 

 ity-seventh street and about 300 feet west of Cottage Grove 

 Avenue. The additions and changes which were made in the 

 building to suit the purposes of the Board included a wing of 

 proper dimensions which was built to house the beautiful interior 

 furnishings originally in the German commissioners' room of the 

 German building in Jackson Park. This finely furnished wing 

 was used as a board room for the Park Commissioners. 



The building as finally rearranged had a floor area of 3,074 

 square feet. The location seemed entirely practical, as it was 

 close to the other park utilities, the shops, conservatory, propa- 

 gating houses and power plant. It was also a very artistic struc- 

 ture, so that with the aging of the vine-clad stone it fitted in 

 harmoniously and unobtrusively with the park surroundings. 



