Preserving the Clarence Darrow Memorial Bridge in Jackson Park

Very few structures from the fairgrounds of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago have survived. One of them has stood in a state of disrepair behind a chain-link fence for fifteen years.

The University of Chicago student newspaper, the Chicago Maroon, had provided an update on efforts to repair this historic bridge in Jackson Park. Evgenia Anastasakos’ “Community Members Organize to Preserve Historic Jackson Park Bridge” (August 5, 2024) highlights the efforts of the newly formed Clarence Darrow Bridge Preservation Coalition to preserve the valuable structure.

Designed by renowned architectural firm of Burnham & Root, the bridge was built in 1880 and is the oldest extant structure of Frederick Law Olmsted’s original design for Jackson Park. During the 1893 World’s Fair, the bridge allowed tens of millions of visitors to cross the Lagoon. Officially renamed the Clarence Darrow Memorial Bridge in 1957, the significant structure is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and has Chicago Landmark status.

The historic bridge, however, has suffered major deterioration, the Coalition notes. Since 2009, the Chicago Park District has closed the bridge deck, effectively cutting-off visitors from walking east and west across the heart of Jackson Park. The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) has a Columbia Drive Bridge Replacement Project aimed at reconstructing the bridge “to its 1895 appearance.” CDOT has indicated that this project will “salvage and reuse as much historic material as possible.” The Clarence Darrow Bridge Preservation Coalition issued a forty-eight-page report on the history of the Darrow Bridge and recommendations for preservation and reconstruction.