Can somebody please tell me what happened to the "Refectory" in Humboldt Park that is visible in this postcard? I have tons of other questions about my neighborhood park but I'll save them for now!
Hi Helge, the structure is still standing, here is a photo that I took today for you to look at. What I believe is the "beach" is in the foreground. I tried to replicate the original POV from the postcard photo :-)
Thank you for posting this photo! I've been away from my home town for too long, now rediscovering the memories here.
I lived on Spaulding Avenue during the 1950's and often went on bicycle adventures in Humboldt Park. One of the great thrills was riding through the passageway behind those arches. I remember the site as a launching point for rowboats. We always felt like we were secret agents in a spy movie, especially in winter when the place was fairly deserted.
The reason why the building in the photo above does not resemble the postcard building is that they are apparently not the same building.
According to the AIA Guide to Chicago, p. 267, there are two structures in Humboldt Park known as "Refectory;" the one pictured above in the photo taken by graylander was designed by Michelsen & Rognstad and built in 1928. The other one (on the East side of Humboldt Dr.) was designed by Schmidt, Garden & Martin and built in 1907, but it also does not resemble the building depicted in the postcard.
What is the date of the postcard?
Is the postcard mislabled? Could the postcard depict a different park building, or even a building in a different park?