The John Wallace house was demolished sometime between 1998-2006 after the Downers Grove Park District acquired the property.

This home sat on a 20-acre plot of land that is now Downers Grove Park District’s Ebersold Park.  The land was once owned by Marguerite and Fred Ebersold, who would allow local children to use it as a sled hill during the winter months.  The Park District purchased the land from brother’s Ken and Keith Ebersold in 1987. The newly formed park was named in honor of the Ebersold family,

In 1989, the Park District proposed building an aquatic park on this location. The proposal was met with resistance in the community. The Open Land Association was formed and referendum on the project was defeated by voters in 1990.

Sources

• Picture courtesy of Kent Ebersold
• “Obituary for June Marie Ebersold, 75”, Chicago Tribune, December 10, 2004, https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-obituary-for-june-marie/140588815/
• Valerie Hardy, “Ebersold family’s generous donation to the Downers Grove Park District leaves lasting legacy ”, Downers Grove Magazine, Jan-Feb 2024, pp. 19-20.  published online on Jan 7, 2024. https://downersgrovemagazine.com/ebersold-familys-generous-donation-to-the-downers-grove-park-district-leaves-lasting-legacy
• DuPage County GIS Viewer, https://gis.dupageco.org/parcelviewer/. Aerial maps show where the house was located on the property and when it was no longer there.