Kenilworth is one of eight suburbs fronting the shores of Lake Michigan north of Chicago. It is the only suburb to be a planned community. Joseph Sears founded Kenilworth in 1889 when he purchased 223.6 acres of woodland, pasture and wetlands at a cost of $150,300. Sears was influenced by England’s planned communities. Street names were taken from the characters and places in Sir Walter Scott’s novel, Kenilworth, a town in the English Midlands. The book was a favorite of Sears. Streets were laid on a northeast/southwest axis to maximize sunlight in each home, utilities were underground, and minimum lot sizes were 100 by 175 feet. This activity coincided with the City Beautiful Movement which advocated that a community’s natural site is enhanced by planning and thus parks played an important part as well.
Town planner George W. Maher, a contemporary and colleague of Frank Lloyd Wright, designed approximately 37 of the village’s homes, along with the limestone pillars marking the Sheridan Road entrances to the village, and the Kenilworth Avenue fountain, benches and urns. Every amenity is within walking distance from home in this close-knit community, even schools and commuter rail service. Three parks feature numerous amenities that include an ice skating rink and a Lake Michigan beach. Elementary students attend Sears School (K-8) that is rich in special programs, while teens attend the nationally recognized New Trier High School in nearby Winnetka. Business commuters use the Edens Expressway (I-94), and the Metra train offers commuter service to the Chicago Loop. Some of the most beautifully planned homes in the Chicago area are found in this peaceful village. Many custom homes were designed around the owner’s specifications—from two-story traditional to Georgians and Tudor estates.
Kenilworth Chamber of Commerce
