Established in the early 20th century, the community was primarily a rural area characterized by farmland and orchards, from which it derived its name.

Orchard Place experienced modest growth throughout the early decades of the 1900s, developing into a quiet residential area.

In 1942 a large tract of farmland located southwest of the intersection of Higgins and Mannheim Roads was acquired by the War Production Board for the construction of a new air base and aircraft manufacturing facility.

After World War II, the production of aircraft at the Douglas plant ceased, and in 1946, the U.S. Government transferred 1,080 acres of the airport land to the City of Chicago.

[citation needed] At some point before 1950 much of the land in the adjacent community was subdivided into residential lots, and a network of initially unpaved streets was developed.

Another relic of the area's past is Resthaven Cemetery, which remains on 1½ acres on the southern side of the airport, near a FedEx processing center.