Beverly

      Prayer Points

• Beverly is one of the more diverse neighborhoods on the South Side. Pray for continued harmony among these different people groups.

• Many neighborhood residents and retirees have been impacted by Chicago’s budget challenges. Pray for the provision of their basic needs.

• Pray for the stability of home values that have been hit hard by the recent housing downturn.

• Many residents in this neighborhood are able to choose private schooling for their children. Pray that these schools would have a positive impact on the lives of the children.

      Ethnic Breakdown

• Asian (0.5%)
• Black or African American (31.9%)
• Hispanic or Latino (3.1%)
• White (62.6%)

Neighborhood Background

Beverly is a racially integrated neighborhood, home to one of the most stable middle-class residential districts in Chicago. Initially part of Washington Heights, Beverly was eventually annexed to Chicago in 1890, but its population was sparse for several decades.

The community symbolized upward social mobility for European immigrants and later for Irish Roman Catholics and African Americans who migrated into the region. The community is primarily suburban in nature, further reinforced by Ridge Park. Consequently, housing consisted mostly of units for single families.

In the 1920s, Irish Catholic and German Lutheran migrants established churches and schools. By 1948, Catholics became the largest denomination in Beverly. Beverly’s population increased dramatically following World War II, mostly due to racial changes in neighborhoods like Englewood, Normal Park, and South Shore. In recent years, Beverly has experienced a slow decline in population and increased ethnic diversity.