Kenilworth is a village in
Cook CountyCook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. According to 2008 US Census Bureau estimates, the county has 5,294,664 residents, which is larger than the populations of 29 individual U.S. states, the...
,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
, approximately 17 mi (28 km) north of downtown
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
. It is the newest of the nine suburban
North ShoreHistorically, the North Shore referred to the area serviced by the now defunct Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, which ran along Lake Michigan's western shore between Chicago and Milwaukee from 1896 until 1963. Today it refers to the suburbs north of Chicago along the lakefront...
communities bordering
Lake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. The second largest of the Great Lakes by volume The third largest of the Great Lakes by surface area , it is bounded, from west to east, by the U.S. states of Wisconsin,...
, and is the only one developed as a planned community. The village is known for its affluence, being named the third wealthiest town in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2007.
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 2,494 people, 792 households, and 697 families residing in the village.
Kenilworth is a village in
Cook CountyCook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. According to 2008 US Census Bureau estimates, the county has 5,294,664 residents, which is larger than the populations of 29 individual U.S. states, the...
,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
, approximately 17 mi (28 km) north of downtown
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
. It is the newest of the nine suburban
North ShoreHistorically, the North Shore referred to the area serviced by the now defunct Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, which ran along Lake Michigan's western shore between Chicago and Milwaukee from 1896 until 1963. Today it refers to the suburbs north of Chicago along the lakefront...
communities bordering
Lake MichiganLake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America, and the only one located entirely within the United States. The second largest of the Great Lakes by volume The third largest of the Great Lakes by surface area , it is bounded, from west to east, by the U.S. states of Wisconsin,...
, and is the only one developed as a planned community. The village is known for its affluence, being named the third wealthiest town in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2007.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 2,494 people, 792 households, and 697 families residing in the village. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 4,190.8 people per square mile (1,604.9/km²). There were 815 housing units at an average density of 1,369.5/sq mi (524.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.27% White, 0.16% African American, 0.04% Native American, 2.25% Asian, and 0.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 792 households out of which 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 81.7% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.9% were non-families. 10.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.39.
In the village the population was spread out with 34.8% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
As of the census of 2000, the median income for a household in the village was greater than $200,000, as is the median income for a family. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the village was $100,718. None of the families and 1.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.
Reputation
Kenilworth has a reputation as the wealthiest and most exclusive community in the Midwest. In April 2005,
American Demographics magazine named Kenilworth's
ZIP codeThe ZIP code is the system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service . The letters ZIP, a backronym for Zone Improvement Plan, are properly written in capital letters and were chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
(60043) the 11th most affluent in the US and in April 2006. In September 2007
ForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, Forbes magazine, is published fortnightly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published fortnightly, and Business Week...
magazine ranked Kenilworth as the 19th most expensive ZIP code in America and in a three-way tie, the richest zip code in America
Education
Kenilworth has its own public school district, with its only school being Joseph Sears School, named after the founder of the village. The district is School District 38 in Cook County, and is the fifth most expensive K-8 district in the state of Illinois in per-student spending. The school, commonly known as Sears, runs from junior kindergarten through eighth grade, with about sixty students per grade. Sears has its own gymnasium, auditorium, library, and one high-tech computer lab , in addition to a blacktop and large fields behind the school. Annual events that go on at Sears include The Eighth Grade Play, the Spelling Bee, the Geography Bee, Scamper Night (concert put-on by the Girl Scouts), and Field Day (Tigers vs. Wildcats). Most students participate in one of the school's athletic teams, including boys and girls basketball, boys and girls volleyball, coed soccer, field hockey and coed track and field. Football and Lacrosse are also popular sports students will participate in that are run through the Kenilworth Park District.
There are no private schools in the small village of Kenilworth itself, but some K-8 students do attend nearby schools such as Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity, St. Joseph, St. Francis Xavier, Roycemore School, Baker Demonstration, and North Shore Country Day.
The vast majority of high schoolers in Kenilworth attend
New Trier High SchoolNew Trier High School is a public four-year high school with its major campus located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a second campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration...
, the district high school just down the road, but others attend a variety of private schools including local and boarding schools. The most popular choices for students looking for alternatives include local private schools such as
Loyola AcademyLoyola Academy is a private, co-educational college preparatory high school, located in Wilmette, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, it is one of 47 Jesuit high schools in the United States and is a member of the Jesuit Secondary Education...
,North Shore Country Day, Regina Domincan,
Roycemore SchoolRoycemore School is an independent, nonsectarian co-educational college preparatory school located in Evanston, Illinois serving grades junior kindergarten through the twelfth-grade...
, and
Lake Forest AcademyLake Forest Academy is a college preparatory boarding and day school for grades 9 through 12 located on the North Shore in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States. As of the 2008-2009 school year, students at Lake Forest Academy come from 20 states and 28 countries. The current Head of School is Dr....
, as well as schools on the East Coast such as The Hotchkiss School and
Westminster SchoolWestminster School is a small, private, boarding school located in Simsbury, Connecticut.-History:Westminster School was founded by William Lee Cushing in 1888 as a boys’ school in Dobbs Ferry, New York....
.
Public Entities and Points of Interest
Places in Kenilworth include
- Kenilworth Fountain - In the middle of Kenilworth Avenue just east of the railroad tracks
- The Kenilworth Beach - The public beach on Lake Michigan, which is divided into a sailing beach and a bathing beach
- Pee Wee Field - Also known as "Sears Stadium" - Baseball field located on the west side of town where many little leaguers play
- Townley Field - District-owned sports field behind the school where many sports are played including field hockey, soccer, lacrosse, and the school Field Day
- The Ware Garden - Public courtyard on the east side where many residents walk their dogs
- McKinley Park - A small park on the south side of town
- Kenilworth Train Station - Train station on the Metra Line in between Indian Hill and Wilmette stations
- Joseph Sears School - Public elementary and junior high school on Abbotsford Road (JK-8)
- The Kenilworth Club - A frequented community house that hosts all sorts of events throughout the year
- Kenilworth Historical Society - Preserve and present the history of the town
- Kenilworth Union Church - A non-denominational Protestant church on Kenilworth Avenue
- Church of the Holy Comforter - Episcopal Church across the street from Kenilworth Union
Kenilworth does not have its own fire department or library; for these services, the town contracts with the neighboring Winnetka fire department and with the Wilmette library. Kenilworth has its own police department and 9-1-1 call center.
Kenilworth Assembly Hall
Known as the Kenilworth Club, the Assembly Hall is a community building in the center of the village used for civic events for the town's gatherings, school-related events, and private organizations' meetings. This building is used for the annual Joseph Sears School benefits as well. The building was constructed by George Maher in 1907, and will reach its centennial commemoration next summer. The community house is used by the Historical Society, Joseph Sears School, and the Boy and Girl Scouts programs among others. In addition, a handful of yearly events go on at the Kenilworth Club, including Bingo Night, The Memorial Day Parade, and the Halloween Party. According to the official website, the Club's mission is, "To educate members of the community about the village, its history and architecture, as represented by the Assembly Hall itself; to promote friendly relations among its members; to serve their social needs; and to promote cultural activities, provide literary entertainment and encourage mental culture."
In recent years, the Kenilworth Assembly Hall has become a home for concerts and benefits hosted by local bands from
New Trier High SchoolNew Trier High School is a public four-year high school with its major campus located in Winnetka, Illinois, USA, and a second campus in Northfield, Illinois, with freshman classes and district administration...
and other surrounding areas. The title "North Shore Scene" has been appropriately coined by many students and teenagers to describe their association with the concerts and the bands that participate. The North Shore Scene has helped launch the careers of well-known artists such as
Fall Out BoyFall Out Boy is an American Grammy-nominated rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist-rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, bassist Pete Wentz and drummer Andy Hurley....
and
Blacktop MourningBlacktop Mourning was an American pop punk band from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Their debut record "No Regret" was released on May 15, 2007 through Adam Duritz's . The band has been inactive since late 2008.-History:...
.
Geography
Kenilworth is located at (42.088128, -87.716009).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²), all of it land.
The highest point in the village is in the northwest corner, along Ridge Rd. This point is about above sea level, or above the surface of Lake Michigan.
History
Joseph Sears purchased in one of the last undeveloped areas near Chicago's lakeshore for $150,300 in 1889. Joseph Sears' specifications for the community included large lots, high standards of construction, and no alleys. Seven years later, the population had reached 300 residents, fulfilling the legal requirement for incorporation. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,494.
Notable people
- Walker Evans
Walker Evans was an American photographer best known for his work for the Farm Security Administration documenting the effects of the Great Depression. Much of Evans' work from the FSA period uses the large-format, 8x10-inch camera...
- Professional Photographer
- George Washington Maher - early 20th century Prairie School
Prairie School was a late 19th and early 20th century architectural style, most common to the Midwestern United States.The works of the Prairie School architects are usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped in horizontal bands,...
style ArchitectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
- James McManus
James "Jim" McManus is an American poker player, teacher and writer living in Kenilworth, Illinois.-Poker and Positively Fifth Street:...
- Novelist and author of Positively Fifth Street
- Charles H. Percy
Charles Harting "Chuck" Percy was chairman of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964 and United States Senator from Illinois from 1967 to 1985. He is a member of the Republican Party.-Bell & Howell:...
- Former U.S. Senator
- Mark Kirk
Mark Steven Kirk has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001. Kirk is running for a position in the Senate in 2010.- Early life and education :...
- U.S. Representative
- Terence H. Winkless
Terence H. Winkless is a producer, director, and writer of motion pictures and television. Winkless went to the well-known New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, before continuing to the USC Cinema school and an Internship at the AFI Conservatory....
- Film Director
- Christopher George Kennedy
Christopher G. Kennedy is an American businessman.He is president of Merchandise Mart Properties, a commercial-property management firm based in Chicago, Illinois, which manages various properties including The Merchandise Mart in Chicago and the L.A. Mart in Los Angeles, California, and the...
- Son of Bobby Kennedy and President of Merchandise Mart
External links