Welcome to Westchester Residents Subdivision Association
Old meets new! In 2021, the new Westchester entrance sign at Chatham Rd. and Westchester Blvd. replaced the large stone structure pictured, which was the original Westchester entrance since 1970.
Westchester is the largest subdivision in Springfield, Illinois with single-family houses, townhouses and apartment complexes. Our subdivision is proud to encompass two parks - Westchester Park and Lindbergh Park - with swing sets, and a large inclusive playground area which are for all ages. In 2025, Lindbergh Park went through an extensive upgrade which now is inclusive for all children, with a wheelchair ramp access and a large inclusive swing. It also has swing sets for smaller children with a large climbing strutures and slides, and a tire swing for the older ones along with a twirly tower which is sure to give the beloved and highly coveted dizzy walks to the kiddos. Westchester Park is around 11 acres and reaches all the way to the Wabash Trail Bike and Walk Trail. The Wabash Bike and Walk Trail is a 3-mile trail which begins at MacArthur Boulevard and Wabash Avenue and continues west across Chatham Road and Veterans Parkway ending at Robbins Road. The trail is accessible from Westchester Subdivision with a trail entrance off Idlewild Drive.
There are also baseball fields with bleachers and shade protection for our budding MLB players, soccer nets, tennis courts, and a sand volleyball area. Two churches are located at each of our main entrances: Parkway Christian Church at Veterans Parkway and Lindbergh Boulevard, and Springfield Bible Church at Chatham Road and Westchester Boulevard. Come visit our subdivision and see all it can offer you! The Westchester Residents Association (WRA) is a non-profit organization with a volunteer Board of Directors that work to promote good community relations, maintain the aesthetics of the subdivision and provide social events like Fall Fest, Annual Meetings, Community Garage Sales and Easter Egg Hunts for our neighborhood.
Get to know Westchester Subdivision and the
Westchester Residents Association
History
The Subdivision
Before Westchester was a subdivision, Craig Isbell and Gelder Lockwood founded the Springfield Aviation Co., which operated Southwest Airport on Chatham Road south of Wabash Avenue from 1927 into the 1960s. Celebrity aviators who flew into Southwest Airport included Amelia Earhart, Wiley Post, and brothers Hunter and Humphrey Moody. The Moody brothers in 1939, originating from Southwest Airport, are known for “beating the world record for endurance flying in a light aircraft” (nearly 344 hours).
In 1962, Southwest Airport closed. The acreage was sold off for residential construction, and in 1963, the land was developed into Westchester Subdivision. This Springfield, Illinois southwest subdivision encompasses approximately 1,114 homes and is bordered by Chatham Road and Veteran’s Parkway. Not much remains of the former airport except a former hangar on Chatham Road.
As Westchester subdivision was planned, a “declaration of building restrictions,” commonly referred to as Covenants, was formed to establish rules and regulations on how the property would be used.
The WRA
In 1978, the Westchester Residents Association was formed as a not-for-profit organization with board members to enforce the Covenants, and to promote the welfare of the subdivision and its residents.
Our WRA Board Members are residents of the Westchester community who volunteer their time and are dedicated to make our subdivision a desirable place to live. We invite residents to participate in the WRA’s events and support the board by making a small annual contribution. With your help, the WRA can continue to provide neighborhood functions and maintain our surrounding areas. We value working together for a safe, family-focused place to live. Want to learn more about the WRA? Please visit the President’s Page to read a special message for residents.
*Southwest Airport history courtesy of The Sangamon County Historical Society
Westchester Park
Lindbergh Park
Get to know the great people in your neighborhood!
2024 Annual WRA Meeting
Nov. 2, Springfield Bible Church
The annual WRA meeting attracted approximately 74 residents to Springfield Bible Church on Nov. 2. We were especially pleased to hear from:
- Mayor Misty Buscher
- Springfield Police Chief Ken Scarlette
- Springfield Fire Chief Ed Canny
- Springfield Public Works Director Dave Fuchs
- Ward 7 Alderman Brad Carlson
Mayor Buscher spoke about the summer derecho, reports of speeding and break-ins, her plan to hire more police officers, and her hope to streamline city services so that residents can more easily handle tasks like paying CWLP bills. She also noted that the city wants to increase repairs to infrastructure, meaning sidewalks and curbs. One of her initiatives is to hire zone managers who get out into the community to see what streets, curbs, sidewalks, streetlights, and more really look like. She promised to look into concerns about whether stop signs or speed bumps could slow the speeders in the neighborhood, and whether the Westchester subdivision streets can handle semi-truck traffic.
Chief Scarlette also addressed the need for more neighborhood police officers and hoped more residents would register their security cameras to help them track crimes. He thinks that as the city hires more police officers, we’ll see more officers in Westchester (and other neighborhood) doing traffic control. He said that statistically, the number of crimes in Springfield is down, but residents are concerned about break-ins. He encourages us to be vigilant by keeping doors locked, items in the home rather than in a vehicle, and using security/doorbell cameras.
Fire Chief Canny brought the renderings of the new fire stations which will put Westchester in the middle of two fire stations. He also explained the qualifications of firefighters, who are able to handle initial response to medical emergencies as well as fire and hazmat incidents.
Public Works Director Fuchs talked about streets, sewers, and leaf/branch pickup. He said that the addition of zone managers across the city will help determine where debris needs to be cleaned up.
Alderman Carlson spoke about government service and helping people navigate the bureaucracy. He cited accomplishments such as derecho cleanup, the Scheel’s complex, high-speed railway, the new Malibu Jacks and Illinois Environmental Protections Agency move to the mall which will generate activity in the area.