It was originally established as a United States Army Post named after Civil War Cavalry General Philip Sheridan,[4] to honor his services to Chicago.

When the main fort was officially closed by the Army on May 3, 1993,[5] the majority of the property was sold by the Department of Defense to commercial land developers.

The Commercial Club of Chicago, concerned since 1877 with the need for a military garrison, was motivated by the Haymarket Riot in 1886 to arrange for the donation of 632 acres (2.6 km2) of land to the Federal Government for this purpose.

In 1888, Ossian Cole Simonds was hired to create a site plan for Fort Sheridan which was to include a parade ground for drills.

During World War I, activities at Fort Sheridan included two 1917 Officers' Training Centers, which were commanded by James A.

The 94 buildings in the Historic District, built between 1889 and 1910, include 64 structures that were the first major works of the architectural firm Holabird & Roche of Chicago.

In 1979, director Robert Redford used a warehouse on the base to build interior sets for his Oscar-winning film Ordinary People.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency considers Landfill 7 to be a Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) location.

[14] The Army then applied for a closure permit, installed a leachate collection system, and placed a clay cap over Landfill 7.

[15] Public comments for this interim action opposed the cap,[16] focusing on the Army's characterization of the type of waste in the landfill, the geologic instability of the ravine and bluff environment, and the proximity to Lake Michigan from which local drinking water is drawn.

[citation needed] After the interim containment remedy was selected on April 22, 1997,[17] the Army brought in Dr. Shabica to evaluate the shore protections as part of the design phase.

[20] According to the FY2006 Defense Environmental Restoration Program Annual Report To Congress, $58.7 million in cleanup funding had been appropriated for Fort Sheridan.