At its peak in 1907, the Rock Island Railroad Company controlled 14,270 miles of rail, which Midwestern farmers relied on to transport their harvests to the South and West. But the famed line fell on hard times during the second half of the last century, resulting in a federal judge ordering liquidation in June 1980. The passage of 40 years, however, did not stop me from taking a 12-mile journey today on its namesake, leaving from the LaSalle Street Metra Station and dropping me at the 99th Street Station in Beverly Hills on Chicago’s Southside.

I was drawn to the community by the Givens Castle. Each year it is a top draw during the Architectural Foundation’s Open House Chicago, but there is a lot more to Beverly Hills than what turned out to be a disappointing castle—not enough turrets or girth, and no moat.

Far more notable is the hill that the Castle sits on. From the Hancock Tower’s Observation Deck, I never noticed that hill as I peered over the monotonously flat terrain that surrounds Chicago’s central core. I could easily argue that the skyscraper originated in Chicago because our civic forefathers were overcompensating for Chicago’s lackluster topography. It turns out that the hill running just west of Longwood Drive is a glacial remnant representing Chicago’s highest natural elevation.

Real estate developer Robert Givens built his castle in 1887 following a trip to Ireland, where he saw a caste that must have left quite an impression — Beverly’s version is a replica. Givens and his family occupied the structure during its first decade. Then Givens leased it to the Chicago Female College. It was eventually acquired by the Beverly Unitarian Church in 1942 for $80,000. On May 29, 2020, the church began a now-complete restoration of the castle’s exterior.

Far more impressive are the mansions that sit atop the glacial rise for three or four blocks south of the castle. They are the central features in what is known as the Longwood Historic District. Head a couple blocks west, and you encounter the H. Howard Hyde House at 10541 South Hoyne Avenue and the Guy C. Smith House at 10410 South Hoyne Avenue. The two homes are among several Frank Lloyd Wright structures within Beverly’s borders. Both are American System-Built Homes, which is Wright’s term for prefabricated, manufactured housing. Wright worked with Arthur L. Richards, who manufactured pre-cut elements in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Despite being prefab, each home includes Wright’s distinctive geometric stylings, which meant I recognized both as Wright-designed before seeing their street addresses..

After admiring the Wright homes, I headed a few blocks west until I reached Western Avenue, which bisects Beverly. It is the site each year of one of Chicago’s three St. Patrick’s Day Parades, drawing over 200,000 spectators. The sponsors ended the annual celebration following the 2009 parade due to raucous and rowdy behavior that had become a distasteful hallmark, but they revived it in 2012. Unfortunately, Covid halted the procession down Western in 2020 and then again this year; maybe in 2022.

Western Avenue is Beverly’s commercial hub, with a major shopping mall straddling 95h Street, auto repair shops clustered further south, pancake houses, drive-ins, lots of beauty parlors and salons, and Chicago’s largest collection of Irish pubs, which include Cork & Kerry and Horse Thief Hollow, although I am not sure whether the latter qualifies as an Irish pub. It does have handcrafted beer and crab cakes. Beverly Records sits just over the border in Morgan Park. Owned by the same family since the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts back in 1967, it is a classic used-record shop, bins bulging with every type of music imaginable. Unfortunately, I arrived shortly before the 5PM closing time, so I got only a glance at the inventory. The first thing I noticed was the smell of old cardboard gatefold covers, which is an aroma that sends Mark Sheldon and other vinyl lovers into a buying frenzy. Bring the U-Haul trailer.

I arrived late in the day because I had been in search of Optimo Hat Company, now located in a Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill-designed manufacturing facility on 95th Street. The building’s exterior has the distinctive features that mark it as an old Chicago firehouse, including the original dedication plaque still reminding everyone that Carter H. Harrison was Chicago’s mayor when the building was erected in 1914. I rang the bell, but disappointedly, no one responded. Those who want to buy a handmade hat must head to Optimo’s retail space in the Monadnock Building (51 West Jackson) in the Loop.

My trip to Optimo was not for naught, however. 95th Street west of Western hosts a number of what I suspect are Black-owned businesses—some even have signs in the window so indicating. I encountered several tempting apparel stores—one sold colorful dresses and at least two had large inventories of what I suspect are custom shirts in the hip hop style. I also saw several art galleries.

In terms of demographics, Beverly is a success story. In Chicago, most people think Bridgeport when they think of Irish immigrants—largely because that is where the Daley family settled. Beginning in the 1920s, Beverly saw an influx of Irish Catholics. Unlike other communities closer to Chicago’s central business district, Beverly’s white residents resisted so-called blockbusting in the Seventies, which precipitated “white flight” to the suburbs as residents in urban neighborhoods sold their homes out of fear that African-Americans moving into the neighborhood would reduce property values. As a consequence of that resistance, Beverly is one of Chicago’s most integrated neighborhoods.

One thing is for sure: Beverly’s residents are some of Chicago’s friendliest. Virtually everyone I encountered on the residential streets offered a friendly “Hello, how are you?” Even on Western Avenue I encountered smiles and head nods. Particularly notable was the response from the man behind the Beverly Records counter. He didn’t keep the store open past the 5 PM closing time (I have no complaint there), but when I asked how close we were to the 115th Street Metra station, he offered to give me a lift so I wouldn’t miss the next train.

Click on an Image to Enlarge It

Note: I have not included my images of the two Frank Lloyd Wright homes. I arrived at the wrong time of day. Both homes were largely in shadow. One home is a mid-morning shot and the other is mid-to-late afternoon shot.

All images and text, Copyright 2021, Jack B. Siegel. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, redisplay, alter, or distribute without the express written permission of the copyright holder.