By Chris Larson
But the district hadn’t publicized its plans. Fearful that the conservatory could be lost, a number of groups–including Friends of the Parks and Bethel New Life, a community-development organization–formed a loose coalition to mobilize public support. “We had, a number of years before, identified the conservatory as one of our community assets–a sorely neglected one,” says Mary Nelson, Bethel New Life’s president. The coalition held a press conference at the conservatory, declaring it a national treasure that had to be saved.
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The conservatory’s centerpiece was the lush fern room, which was designed to evoke the pre-ice-age midwest. Paths still snake through small stone canyons; and ferns hang heavy over the rocks, brushing against visitors as they pass. At the back of the room two waterfalls trickle over the walkway into a large, fish-filled lagoon. The collection now includes nearly 40 cycads, tall palmlike plants, some of which are 300 years old.
The conservatory’s rise and fall paralleled that of the neighborhood surrounding it. When it was laid out in 1869, Garfield Park was on the edge of the city, but development soon followed, as the park, transit lines to downtown, and nearby industrial jobs attracted residents. European immigrants dominated the neighborhoods; the predominant ethnic group was Irish, then German, and by the 1920s and 30s Russian and Italian.
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Robert Penn became superintendent in 1989; the current superintendent, Forrest Claypool, took over in July 1993. “We think he’s done a very good job of reforming the Park District,” says Tranter. “He’s decentralized, brought in additional revenue, and downsized the administrative levels downtown. I think the parks look better. We haven’t seen a significant change in park programming, and there are still many facilities that are underutilized. But things are clearly better.”
The room was replanted last fall and now looks much as it did when it was first planted in 1928; Jensen originally designed the room as a conifer house, but it had to be converted to aroids because it was difficult to keep cool enough for the pines to thrive. The aroids aren’t lush yet, but over time they’ll fill in and hanging vines will again cover the steel structure.
