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Alfred Caldwell is revered as a leading practitioner of the Midwest or prairie school of landscape design. A protege of Jens Jensen, Caldwell designed the Lincoln Park Lily Pool for the Chicago Park District in 1937. With its extraordinary prairie-style pavilion, stone council ring, intricate wood and stone entrance gate, flagstone walk, stone waterfall, and largely Midwest native plant palette, the Lily Pool represents the essence of prairie school landscape design. Although it suffered from years of neglect, it was rehabilitated in 1997 through the efforts of a local not-for-profit conservancy.
As prime consultant and overall project manager, the landscape architect was accountable for planning, designing, and documenting the rehabilitation; coordinating the construction phase services; and managing the consultants. This resulted in numerous activities, which follow: removing over 400 trees; removing non-historic 1960s stone; improving the Fullerton Avenue gate; rebuilding the prairie-style pavilions; installing aquatic plants; and landscaping and upland planting.
Today, a jewel of Lincoln Park, the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool has been transformed from a dark, eroded, overgrown site to a beautiful and contemplative prairie school landscape.
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