KANKAKEE, IL – Illinois residents may be surprised to learn of Kankakee County’s unique connection to Wrigley Field, as it turns out that legendary architect Zachary Taylor Davis had designed the third Kankakee County Courthouse in 1909, before being hired by Charles Comiskey to design White Sox Park (later known as Comiskey Park).
Davis was one of the first architects to design ballparks with innovative steel-beam and concrete construction, which put an end to the frequent moves of Chicago teams that were previously housed in wooden structures with minimal capital investment.
His impressive resume includes designing Weeghman Park in 1914, which would later become Wrigley Field, and overseeing the expansion of Wrigley Field in 1922. Davis also designed Wrigley Field (Los Angeles) in 1925, which was torn down in 1969. Davis, who is considered the Frank Lloyd Wright of baseball architects, lived quietly with his family in Kenwood, Chicago, and died at Mercy Hospital in Chicago in 1946.
In honor of Davis’s legacy, a boutique hotel named Hotel Zachary at Gallagher Way was created in the heart of Wrigleyville. This hotel brings Davis’s vision to life in thoughtful and surprising ways, blending new and old, unique and familiar. It’s a perfect place to stay for baseball fans, business travelers, curious vacationers, and in-the-know locals who want to be close to the iconic Wrigley Field and other exciting destinations.
