History:  The Bungalow at Independence Park

In 1919, the property at Hamlin and Byron was purchased by John Coppersmith, a Wisconsin commission merchant for a fruit company.  Coppersmith hired a local architect, Benedict Bruns, to design the house and Carl Clausen Construction Company to construct the house. 

In 1920, Bruns was replaced by Carl M. Behrens who finished the project.  The home was sold by Coppersmith in March of 1924 to Henry and Ella Dick.  The Dick’s sold the property to the Irving Park District on May 9, 1929 to be used as a community building for women’s activities.  It served as The Women’s Building for many years.

“As someone who grew up in a bungalow, and an elected official who represents Chicago’s northwest bungalow district, bungalows have a special place in my heart… Over the years, the bungalow at Independence Park has become much more than a bricks and mortar building.  It is the heart and soul of Independence Park and the surrounding neighborhood.  
— Alderman Margaret Laurino

“The Women’s Center bungalow has always been a point of pride for the Independence Park neighborhood and is a bustling hub of activity…a place where young people interested in music have learned to be musicians, where Boy Scouts have grown into Eagle Scouts and where women are still able to weave on old antique looms kept in the building.” 
— Resident Dave Lehman

“When my wife and I first looked at buying a home in this community, we were immediately struck by the vintage character of the homes and of Independence Park. The arts and crafts influenced field house and the bungalow combine to anchor a rarity in the city today: a small, well-maintained urban park that serves as the center of activity for the community.”
— Resident John Aitken