Landscape Information
Located in the Douglas community area on the south side of Chicago, this park design features Douglas’ tomb and memorial surrounded by lawn and canopy trees. It occupies a site near former Camp Douglas, a Civil War prisoner of war camp. Designed by Leonard Volk in 1866 and erected between 1866 and 1881, the memorial is a 96-foot granite structure comprising three circular bases and a 20-foot diameter octagonal mausoleum which holds Douglas’ sarcophagus. A 46-foot column topped with a nine-foot bronze statue of the politician rises above the mausoleum, with large bronze allegorical figures portraying “Illinois,” “History,” “Justice,” and “Eloquence” at the four main corners of the mausoleum. The surrounding lawn areas are landscaped with deciduous trees and floral planting beds, with a wide concrete walk leading directly to the memorial. The walk is bisected by a long oval planting bed. A narrower path leads to an information kiosk on the western side of the site. The memorial was named a Chicago Landmark in 1977.
