The Givins Beverly Castle, distinguished by its turrets, is nearly synonymous with the Beverly-Morgan Park neighborhood itself. This iconic structure serves the entire community every day as a preschool, an event center, meeting hall and site for vibrant conversation, learning and civic engagement.
In 1886, real estate promoter and novelist Robert C. Givins, inspired by the castles he saw and sketched when he visited his ancestral home of Ireland, built the limestone structure at 103rd and Longwood, now at the heart of this diverse, historic Chicago neighborhood. The building served as the Givins home, a preparatory school for girls, and a home again for the Burdett and Siemens families.
In 1942, the Beverly Unitarian Fellowship purchased the Castle, adding the preschool and office wing in 1959/60. To this day, the members of the Beverly Unitarian Church — successor to the Fellowship — are the caretakers of this community treasure.
More than 130 years since its construction, the Givins Beverly Castle has been recognized by the Chicago Landmarks Commission as a contributing structure in the Longwood Drive District. It also contributes to the Ridge Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior).
Read all about the site’s rich history in Chicago’s Only Castle by Errol Magidson, 2017, or visit www.chicagosonlycastle.org.