[2] The complex was built from 1950 to 1955; architect Henry K. Holsman, who planned several of Chicago's affordable housing developments, designed the Modernist buildings.

Mary McLeod Bethune gave an address at the development's cornerstone-laying ceremony, which was attended by Governor Adlai Stevenson II, Chicago Mayor Martin H. Kennelly, and both of the state's U.S.

Advocates for affordable housing and civil rights praised the development when it was completed, citing its modern heating and appliances and its expansive units.

The Chicago affiliate of national real estate firm Related Companies and a major affordable housing and mixed-use developer known for its expertise in preservation projects purchased Parkway Gardens in 2011.

[9] The complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 22, 2011, for its architectural significance and its role in African-American community development.

The 6400 block of South King Drive was known locally as "WIIIC CITY",[12] but began to be referred to as "O'Block" following the 2011 murder of resident and Black Disciples member Odee Perry.

[17] Holsman gave the Parkway Gardens Apartment Homes a Modernist design inspired by European housing projects of the 1920s and 1930s.

The complex is low-rise and includes several walk-up buildings, giving it a personal feel at a time when skyscraper housing projects were common.