Arguably Chicago's brainiest neighborhood, Hyde Park was founded in 1853 by Paul Cornell, a cousin of Ezra Cornell (the founder of Cornell University). The University of Chicago was founded here in 1892 by John D. Rockefeller and has since produced more than 70 Nobel prize winners. The liberal, intellectual character of Hyde Park is one of the qualities that makes it unlike any other part of the city.
Hyde Park's architecture is another unique element. Buidlings designed by Eero Saarinen, I.M. Pei, and Frank Lloyd Wright give the University vicinity a sleek and sophisticated feel. Wright's Robie House is considered by many to be the most elegant example of “Prairie School” architecture, and is probably the most famous and important Wright building in the Chicago area.
The Museum of Science and Industry is the sole remaining vestige from the World's Columbian Exposition, held here in 1893. The exposition drew massive crowds and was notable for its 250-foot high Ferris Wheel (the first modern Ferris Wheel ever created). The DuSable Museum of African American History honors Hyde Park's African-American community (one of Chicago's largest).
Hyde Park is one of the most racially, culturally, and religiously integrated parts of the city. The Byzantine-style K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Congregation building houses Chicago's oldest Jewish congregation. Seminary Co-op Bookstore, in the basement of the Chicago Theological Seminary, is an intimidating and enthralling maze of books on every subject. Sem Co-op also operates 57th Street Books, popular with University students.
The relentless diversity of Hyde Park makes it a place that appeals to many types of people, from writers and urban hipsters to community activists and blue-collar families. Its unique, often contradictory nature is illustrated by the disparity between Hyde Park's gorgeous preserved buildings and the dilapidated mansions and row houses that surround it.
Fun Facts
- The first sustained nuclear reaction took place in Hyde Park.
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- The modern Ferris wheel was designed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Originally conceived to be as tall as the Eiffel Tower, the Ferris wheel ended up about a quarter of the Eiffel Tower's height – but at 26 stories, it stood taller than the tallest skyscraper in Chicago at the time. It had a 2,160-person capacity and weighted 2,200 tons.
- The neighborhood was named by its founder, Paul Cornell, after London's Hyde Park.
- Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House was designed for Frederick C. Robie, a bicycle manufacturer.
- Famous Hyde Park residents have included Clarence Darrow, Muhammed Ali, Marshall Field, Harold Washington, and Barack Obama.
- Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago's football team was the first-ever Heisman trophy winner, in 1935. He was also Chicago's last Heisman winner.
