Sparsely settled until the late 19th century, Beverly was incorporated as part of the Village of Washington Heights in 1874 and began development by business interests from Chicago.

[1] The area was annexed by the city of Chicago in 1890 [2] and continued to grow with the completion in the Rock Island Railroad that runs parallel along the eastern edge of the Blue Island ridge to its terminus at LaSalle Street Station in downtown Chicago.

[3] In 1889, when the Rock Island Railroad realigned its suburban tracks, it expanded service north of 99th Street.

[8] Beverly and the surrounding area was sparsely populated by the Potawatomi and some white settlers until 1833, when the indigenous people forcibly ceded their land rights to the United States under Indian removal.

[10] The area, which was at the intersection of the Rock Island Railroad and the Panhandle Route, saw a substantial period of growth sustained by Chicagoans displaced by the Great Chicago Fire in 1871.

The section west of Western Avenue and south of 99th Street was added to Washington Heights.

The distinct geological history is the most significant in Chicago, being the point of highest elevation at nearly 100 feet (30 m) above the water line of Lake Michigan.

[17] As of 2021,[update] over three-quarters of the housing stock, 78.7%, in Beverly consists of single-family detached homes, compared to 26.1% citywide.

[19] No multifamily buildings in the area were considered affordable according to a 2016[update] study conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

[20] Prior to European American settlement, the area was home to Potawatomi people, who in 1833, after the Black Hawk War, were forcibly moved west of the Mississippi River by the federal government.

[23][24] Beverly's early Caucasian settlement was largely English and Protestant, but by the early 20th century, a large influx of Irish Americans began to arrive in the neighborhood and the construction of several Roman Catholic church parishes and business establishments saw Beverly develop into a stronghold of the city's South Side Irish community.

[22] English was the only language spoken by 92.0% of the population aged five and older, compared to a citywide figure of 64.8%.

[32] In the Chicago City Council, Beverly is[update] located entirely within the 19th Ward, represented by Democrat Matthew O'Shea.

[35] The respective representatives of the three districts are Democrats Frances Ann Hurley (since 2013),[36] Justin Slaughter (since 2017),[37] and Kelly M. Burke (since 2011).

[39] The respective senators of the two districts are Democrats Bill Cunningham (since 2013)[40] and Emil Jones III (since 2009).

[52] Beverly is in the Chicago Police Department's 22nd district, whose headquarters is nearby in Morgan Park.

[57] Within Beverly, Metra operates five stations on the Rock Island District line, providing daily inbound commuter-rail service to LaSalle Street Station in Chicago and outbound service to the Joliet Transportation Center.

The rest use other means of transportation; 18.1% take transit (compared to 23.4% citywide), 5.0% carpool, 2.5% walk or bicycle, and 1.3% use other modes.

[61] Highly-walkable areas account for over 96% of residents and jobs;[17] the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning defines such areas by population density, city-block length, tree-canopy cover, fatalities (or serious injuries) to pedestrians and bicyclists, density at intersections, and nearby amenities.

[63] The community is home to three private, Catholic elementary schools: St. Barnabas, St. John Fisher, and Christ the King.

[26] The Chicago Public Library opened a branch on 95th Street on June 8, 2009, featuring LEED certified design and engineering.

They include a bronze sculpture entitled "Two Lovers" by Virginia Ferrari, a series of oil on canvas paintings entitled "Faces of Change" by Tim Anderson, five small and two large oil pieces on shaped birch entitled "Clerestory Suite" by Brian Ritchard, and two archival ink jet prints entitled "Imaginary Play" by Cecil McDonald Jr.[65] Several of the parks within Beverly were once part of the Ridge Park District, one of 22 independent park districts in Chicago before their amalgamation in 1934 into the Chicago Park District.

Alice L. Barnard, a local teacher and historian and Amy's aunt, had recently been honored with the renaming of a nearby school.

The outdoor space contains three baseball diamonds, a playground, tennis courts, and a walking path.

It features a gymnasium, auditorium, indoor swimming pool, fitness center, woodshop, and multi-purpose rooms.

The fieldhouse is also home to the Vanderpoel Memorial Art gallery, a collection of approximately 500 works by American painters and sculptors.

In the early 1990s, it was named in memory of Margaret Cosme, a young girl who tragically died after being struck by a moving vehicle.

On the first anniversary of his death, Mayor Rahm Emanuel dedicated the bronze statue of marine's boots, a rifle, and helmet.

[78] The 10200 block of South Maplewood Avenue adjacent to the park was designated Honorary Cpl.

The park is named after Chicago firefighters Patrick King and Anthony Lockhart, who died while battling the fire.