A faded Mediterranean Revival-styled pergola that is the main feature of a North Lawndale garden, created 120 years ago by Sears, Roebuck & Co., is now being restored.
Work began Friday on the 100-foot long pergola at 3330 W. Arthington St. The structure is the centerpiece of the nearly 2-acre garden built in 1907 as a rest spot for employees at what was then Sears' sprawling campus headquarters.
"People are going to be amazed by the work," the Rev. Reshorna Fitzpatrick, chairperson of Friends of Sears Sunken Garden's board, said. "The work is going to happen pretty fast, and it's actually going to be pretty beautiful."
The $1 million restoration is being funded by a grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation.
The project is the first step in a larger effort to revive the entire garden, an idea launched by the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council’s Greening, Open Space, Water, Soil and Sustainability committee in 2021.
The completed project promises to bring new life and attention to one of the city's best small public green spaces.
This story originally appeared in WBEZ Chicago.
Read full story ↗
