HR0093 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0093 LRB102 15322 ECR 20678 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Village of Kenilworth is located approximately 17 miles north of downtown Chicago and is the newest of the eight Chicago suburban "North Shore" communities; and

WHEREAS, Kenilworth was founded in 1889 when Joseph Sears purchased 223.6 acres of land between the Chicago and North Western Railroad and Lake Michigan for $150,300; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Sears and several of his associates formed The Kenilworth Company to build his suburban dream; in 1891, all lots were offered at $60 an acre, significantly above the $15 an acre average for nearby property, and sold within 12 months; on May 6, 1896, the Village reached the required 300 residents and was incorporated; and

WHEREAS, Kenilworth's layout was designed to take advantage of the natural features and beauty of the land; streets were platted to maximize the availability of sunlight in each home, utilities were placed underground, no alleys or fences were permitted, construction standards were high, and there were large lots and paved streets; and

WHEREAS, Kenilworth contains houses designed by a number of esteemed architects; George W. Maher fashioned the limestone pillars that mark the Sheridan Road entrances to Kenilworth and the original Kenilworth Avenue Fountain; Franklin Burnham joined The Kenilworth Company and designed the railroad station and the Kenilworth Union Church; Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Hiram Baldwin, a prairie school house, in 1905; and

WHEREAS, In 1899, the local women's club selected street names such as Abbotsford and Essex, which were adopted by the Village; and

WHEREAS, Kenilworth expanded by 40 acres in 1922 with the 40 acres in the southwest belonging to the North Shore Golf Club; the Village now consists of a total area of 0.61 square miles; and

WHEREAS, The Village population reached 2,501 in 1930; in 2010, the census counted 2,513 people living in Kenilworth with 800 households and 699 families; and

WHEREAS, Kenilworth has its own public school district with its only school being Joseph Sears School; and

WHEREAS, Notable places in Kenilworth include Kenilworth Assembly Hall, Kenilworth Beach, the Ware Garden, Mahoney Park, the Hiram Baldwin House, and the Kenilworth Club, among others; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Village of Kenilworth on its 125 year anniversary on May 6, 2021; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the Village of Kenilworth.