Beverly, Chicago

Beverly
Community area
Community Area 72 - Beverly
Location within the city of Chicago
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Cook
City	Chicago
Neighborhoods	list Beverly East Beverly North Beverly West Beverly
Area
• Total	3.20 sq mi (8.29 km2)
Population (2010)
• Total	20,034
• Density	6,300/sq mi (2,400/km2)
Demographics (2010)
• White	58.82%
• Black	34.13%
• Hispanic	4.57%
• Asian	0.56%
• Other	1.92%
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP Codes	Parts of 60620, 60643, 60655
Median income	$83,092
Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services

Beverly is one of the 77 community areas of Chicago, Illinois. It is located on the South Side on the southwestern edge of the city. The borders are (roughly) 87th Street on the north; Beverly Avenue, Hale Avenue and Vincennes Road on the east; 107th Street on the south; and Francisco Avenue and Western Avenue on the west. A segment of the eastern part of the Ridge Country Club lies with the boundaries of the community. Sparsely settled in the middle of the 19th century, Beverly began to be developed by business interests from Chicago in the latter part of the nineteenth century, encouraged largely by the completion in 1889 of the suburban line of the Rock Island Railroad that runs parallel with the eastern edge of the Blue Island ridge (see the Ulrich & Son ad that appears elsewhere in this article). The natural beauty of its position on the ridge allowed the community to become an exclusive streetcar suburb, and the homes and large lots reflect this historic distinction. Beverly is located on the highest elevation in Chicago, and is one of the most racially and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the city.

Access

Beverly has quick access (by public transport or car) to all of the Chicago financial markets, shopping, airports, and attractions, yet retains itself as a peaceful and quiet wooded community. Beverly is one of the top five largest historic districts in any major city in the USA. The particular trains that are accessed by the Beverly community are provided from Metra's Rock Island line.

North Blue Island

Beverly is one of few areas in the City of Chicago that features a hilly terrain. This geography is due to its location in the middle of the geological formation known as the blue island ridge. In its early years of settlement this area as well as Morgan Park to the south was known as North Blue Island, denoting its relationship to the village of Blue Island, which was settled in 1836 and is located a few miles to the south.

Ethnicity

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1930	13,793		—
1940	15,910		15.3%
1950	20,186		26.9%
1960	24,814		22.9%
1970	26,797		8.0%
1980	23,360		−12.8%
1990	22,385		−4.2%
2000	21,992		−1.8%
2010	20,034		−8.9%

The neighborhood's roots are largely English and Protestant but is now home to a large Irish-American/Catholic community and many Irish establishments. The community (along with Morgan Park to the south) is the home of the South Side Irish Parade, which is held every year on the Sunday prior to St. Patrick's Day. It hails as the largest neighborhood parade of any type in the country.

The neighborhood currently is home to more Irish-style pubs than any other in Chicago. There is a house whose design was inspired by castles from the builder's native Ireland. The Beverly Branch Library has the largest Irish heritage collection in Chicago. This branch opened a new facility in June 2009 which has a new LEED certified design and engineering. Beverly Branch houses a bronze sculpture by Virginio Ferrari entitled Two Lovers; additional art has been commissioned for the new branch. Artwork was funded through the Percent for Art Ordinance administered by the City of Chicago Public Art Program.

During World War II, Beverly served as a peaceful sanctuary for wounded officers in the Allied Forced of many nations who were in recovery.

Education

Some families move to Beverly in order to provide their children with a private school education defined by Catholic Parish boundaries.

There are four Catholic parishes: St. Barnabas, Christ the King, St. John Fisher, and St. Cajetan. Beverly is a main drawing ground for many of the Chicago area's all-boys schools (Brother Rice, Mt. Carmel, St. Rita, St. Laurence), all-girls schools (Mother McAuley, Queen of Peace, Mount Assisi Academy (closed in 2014); and co-educational Marist Catholic high school. Ridge Academy is also in Beverly.

Notable people

• George Wendt
• Patricia Monaghan
• Paul P. Harris
• Paul Vallas
• The Wachowskis
• Mike Castle

Gallery

• 

  The residence of developer Robert G.Givens (1886), 10244 S. Longwood Drive. "The Castle", shown here in a period photograph, has become the symbol of the Beverly neighborhood and has been the home of the Beverly Unitarian Church since 1942.

• 

  An advertisement from the Chicago Daily Tribune that appeared on May 10, 1891 extolling the advantages of living in Beverly Hills.

• 

  Advertisement from the Chicago Daily Tribune, November 24, 1889, advertising lots for sale in Longwood, Beverly, and the surrounding region. The area at the northern end of the ridge was first known as "the long wood", and the name of Longwood as an area of Beverly and by extension the roadway Longwood Drive perpetuates this early history. The real estate firm of Samuel H. Kerfoot (1823-1896) claims the distinction of being the first business to re-open in the burnt district after the Great Fire of 1871

• 

  Beverly features the work of many notable architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright, George Washington Maher, Harry Waterman, Robert Seyfarth, Tallmadge and Watson and Walter Burley Griffin. This house at 10200 S. Longwood Drive was built in 1890 by Horace Horton, the owner of Chicago Bridge and Iron Company. It was designed by John G. Long, who was inspired by the H.A.C. Taylor house in Newport, Rhode Island by McKim, Mead & White (1886).

References

• Cullen, Maureen. "Boomerang Beverly." Chicago Sun-Times. July 13, 2007. S1 Front.
• Sherrod, Pamela. "12 months capture a neighborhood's history." Chicago Sun-Times. December 9, 2001. Home & Garden 3.

External links

• Official City of Chicago Beverly Community Map