Kenilworth Works it Out

I've seen the signs around town protesting demolition at individual addresses. Now Kenilworth has been put on an "endangered places list" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, at the urging of a citizen. Traditionally Kenilworth has been a place where individual liberty and private property are respected. Now there is a tug of war between that principle and the other which values tradition, embodied in historic old homes, many architecturally significant. The village was founded by Joseph Sears, whose vision essentially remains today.

The village recently lifted a moratorium on teardowns, after revising its building code. Story here in Crain's Chicago Business. And the Tribune:

Describing the Chicago area as the "epicenter of teardowns," the National Trust for Historic Preservation named affluent Kenilworth on Wednesday among the 11 most endangered historic places nationwide in its annual listing....

The verdant North Shore community is largely residential, and many of its 830 homes were designed by well-known architects, including Frank Lloyd Wright and George Maher.

Since 2001, 32 houses have been razed in Kenilworth to make way for new mansions, according to the village.

One North Shore historian who spoke at the press conference organized by the trust said Kenilworth has the "ambience of a park" in support of passing more stringent historic preservation laws.

Another held a sign that said "Kenilworth is a community, not a museum!" and said:

"They're going to use this to ramrod through new zoning restrictions," said Kobor, a Kenilworth resident.

She said she has a doctorate in history and lives in a 100-year-old house but opposes new regulations.

"I think the National Trust should stick to buildings and not entire communities," she said. "There are a lot of houses that are just plain old and have not been kept up."

So at issue is the character of a gracious, historic, and vibrant community comprised of strong-minded individuals. Kenilworth is working it out.