Winthrop Family Historical Garden

In a walkable, growing neighborhood in the Northside of Chicago, a community garden tells an important historical narrative while providing a multi-use gathering space. 

Due to restrictive covenants, the 4600 block of Winthrop Avenue was the only area of the Uptown neighborhood where Black residents were permitted to reside for several decades. Nevertheless, the barriers from the 1920s through the 1940s fostered a strong bond among the residents, who called themselves “The Winthrop Avenue Family.”

In 2009, NeighborSpace, a community land trust, combined several parcels on the block to celebrate the Winthrop families while providing needed green space. By 2020, however, the 5000-square-foot garden had become overgrown and underutilized—no longer serving its original purpose. 

Following the pandemic in 2022, the desire for local food production and communal space prompted a renewed vision for the site, according to MKSK Inc., the design firm. “The development of a new design for the garden held fresh opportunities to share the untold story of the neighborhood,” the designers explain. (Although only one resident from the segregated era remains today, a large extended family still gathers under the Winthrop Avenue banner.)

Partnering with the local Chamber of Commerce, the community economic development organization Uptown United received a City of Chicago Public Outdoor Plaza Grant of $300,000 to transform the space, MKSK says.

The site's design and construction took place over a quick five months, while half of the grant was preserved to activate and program the space monthly. A key feature of the design is flexibility. “The multi-use space features 35 community garden plots, garden storage, communal plazas, a vending shelter, and a performance area to house a diverse collection of community-oriented events and programming throughout all seasons of the year,” notes the design team. 

The design features substantial recycled materials, including two reused shipping containers providing a barrier from a service alley and useful event space. One container stores garden tools and event equipment, while the other, known as the “bar,” provides food service for functions and celebrations. Interpretive signs tell the story of community resistance in an upscale neighborhood that needed workers but didn’t want to mix with the families, who formed tight bonds, started businesses, and cared for one another.

Former City Planning and Development Commissioner Maurice Cox notes that the garden commemorates a history that deserves recognition. “Spaces like this – public spaces tell a story. And this one tells a very uncomfortable story,” says Cox. “But I’m glad that our generation was the one that was willing to honor it.”

The ongoing multipurpose activation serves a community need and makes the space more likely to survive in the long term. “When public spaces hold meaning and inspiration, people care about them,” according to the design team. “Beloved spaces produce stewards who will maintain those spaces over time, allowing for vibrancy, activity, and sustainability to produce success.” Uptown United, the local chamber of commerce, is steward of the place.

The Winthrop Family Historical Garden is about creating community, preserving history, and promoting health through local food production and outdoor activity. In Uptown Chicago, landscape is a critical element of renewed urbanism.