In 1930, the City of Chicago purchased 1.6 acres in the Bridgeport neighborhood using Playground Bond funds. Improvements began immediately, and the park soon had a large new fieldhouse. In 1933, the City Council named the new park Wilson Playground in honor of Bridgeport Alderman John P. Wilson (1893-1968). Nearby Wilson Community Center is also named for Alderman Wilson. Wilson served on the City Council from 1925 to 1929, acting as Chairman of council's Committee on Recreation from 1931 to 1933. In 1933, Wilson was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Public Works, a position he held until 1967. The city's Bureau of Parks and Recreation managed the playground until 1959, when it transferred the property to the Chicago Park District. In 1999, the park district officially designated the park John P. Wilson Park to differentiate it from a second Wilson Park on the city's northwest side.