Kenwood District

Address: Bounded by E. 47th, East 51st, S. Blackstone and S. Drexel Year Built: 1920 - 1920 Architect: Various Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: June 29, 1979

Once referred to as the "Lake Forest of the South Side," Kenwood developed as a pleasant residential suburb between the late 1850s and the 1880s. The area retained its suburban character even after annexation to Chicago in 1889. By the turn of the century, Kenwood's residents included lumber merchant Martin Ryerson, meatpacker Gustavus Swift, and Sears Roebuck executive Julius Rosenwald. Kenwood's large single-family residences, set on spacious lots, made the neighborhood unique in Chicago; among the influential architects who designed houses in the district are: George Maher, Benjamin Marshall, Howard Van Doren Shaw, and Frank Lloyd Wright. The district represents one of the city's best collections of architectural styles, ranging from Italianate and Colonial Revival to Queen Anne and Prairie School.