On Thursday, June 18, the 1060 Project team moved the historic caretaker's house from its temporary location in the Blue Lot back to its original location at the northwest corner of Wrigley Field. The caretaker's house was relocated to the Blue Lot in November 2014 to allow crews to work inside the ballpark while excavating the lot adjacent to Wrigley Field for the planned office building and plaza.
Once crews completed preparatory work in and around the Blue Lot, they slowly moved the house across the lot and Waveland Avenue to the northwest corner of Wrigley Field, across from the fire station. Upon reaching the final destination, the house was carefully lowered onto its new foundation using a combination of hydraulic lifts and support blocks.
Work will continue on the house to restore its historic masonry shell and rebuild the front porch area. The house is expected to be completed by April 2016.
History of the house
The house at 1053 Waveland Ave. was built during a major renovation of then-Cubs Park between the 1922-1923 seasons and reportedly cost $6,000. It was William Wrigley Jr.'s idea to build the home and offer it free of rent to Bobby Dorr, Cubs grounds superintendent from 1919 to 1957, if he would live at the park and watch over the property.
Dorr and his family accepted the offer and moved into the home in 1923. Considered one of the best grounds superintendents in baseball, Wrigley Field was often referred to as "Bobby Dorr's House." Dorr lived there until his death in 1957.
Following Dorr's passing, long-time Cubs traveling secretary Bob Lewis moved his office into the caretaker's house that he also called home. Upon Lewis' full retirement, the home served as an office for the traveling secretary and home secretary and storage for the next several years. Most recently, it has been used as office space for the concessionaires at the ballpark.