Breiter-Palm Park History

Breiter-Palm Park History. . The land that makes up Breiter-Palm Park may have been a prairie, wetland or an oak savanna before it was the Greenhouse on Church, owned and operated by Herman Breiter and Willard Palm (brothers) in 1936. The fresh-cut flowers business and property was left to Breiter's son, Jim, who expanded the business into a larger greenhouse operation. , , Due to the outstanding service and products provided, the Greenhouse on Church became an area icon. When Jim Breiter contemplated retirement, he decided to sell the property and worked with the Bensenville Park District to ensure that the land would remain open space and a place of beauty. , , The Bensenville Park District purchased the four-acre site for $642,000 in summer 2003. To help ease the tax burden for local residents, the park district applied for and received a 50 percent matching land grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Program. , , Breiter-Palm Park opened April 22, 2007. Native plants bloom almost every season of the year, and the park is home to a variety of plant and animal species. For years, the unique park setting has allowed people to commune with nature and enjoy the surroundings. , , The park underwent a modernization in 2021-22 with the installation of a new, fully accessible "playground for all" and the addition of fitness equipment along the perimeter trail to expand the use of the park. The renovation also relocated a peace pole originally installed by Joey Keehn in 2007. Today, the park is among the most popular in the district and is the home to art, fitness and community programming for those of all ages.