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EXHIBITS

Kenilworth Centennial Homes, 1889-1924

Exhibit Opens Sunday, April 21, 2024

 

Our upcoming exhibition, Kenilworth Centennial Homes, 1889-1924, explores the history
of Kenilworth’s oldest homes built from the 1890s through the 1920s. 

Kenilworth is almost entirely a village of private residences. Since its founding in 1889, Kenilworth has been a desirable place to build or purchase a home and raise a family. Kenilworth’s homes are known for their high standard of construction. Now that it has been nearly 135 years since the first residence was built in the village, Kenilworth has hundreds of century-old homes. 

In celebration of the community’s architectural significance, the Kenilworth Historical Society presents Kenilworth Centennial Homes, 1889-1924. This exhibit explores the history of Kenilworth’s 100-year-old homes, highlighting notable examples, early residents, architects, architectural styles, and the evolution of residential development in the village. The exhibit includes old photographs, original documents, and fascinating stories behind Kenilworth’s oldest homes. Visitors will gain insights into the rich history and architectural legacy of Kenilworth through this engaging presentation.

The exhibit will open be open through February 15, 2025. 

History and Development of Kenilworth

Permanent Exhibition

“History and Development of Kenilworth” is a permanent exhibition at the Kenilworth Historical Society that was opened in 2021. This exhibition serves as a comprehensive introduction to the village’s rich history. In addition to detailed text panels with historical images, visitors will find interactive touchscreen displays for a hands-on approach to exploring local history.

Permanent Exhibit Gallery Space
Permanent Exhibit Gallery Space
Permanent Exhibit Interactive Touchscreen Display
Permanent Exhibit Interactive Touchscreen Display

 

Past Exhibits

How Can I Help You: Business and Commerce in Kenilworth exhibit, c. 2017, KHS

Many of our exhibition resources continue to be available online.

View a selection of the images, brochures, special features, and virtual tours of shows no longer on view at the Kenilworth Historical Society.

Collections

A look at the collections storage, c. 2019, KHS

The collections of Kenilworth Historical Society encompasses archives, photographs, art, artifacts, books and other objects, relating to the history of Kenilworth, IL from late 19th century to present.

Primary focus of the materials collected are relevant to the growth and development of the village and the organizations and the individuals associated with Kenilworth, IL.

Kenilworth historical society collects objects with historic, cultural or aesthetic value or having historical significance to people, events and organizations of Kenilworth, IL. Collecting is an on-going process and the curatorial staff continues to research and actively seek artifacts and archival material that are expected to have future historic significance.

Collection Categories

There are 3 primary collection categories – Library, General Collections (Art, Artifact, Textiles and Photographs) and Archives.

  • Library collection comprises of non-accessioned books located in library/conference room.
  • General collection comprises of Art, Artifacts (3D objects, textiles, furniture and personal artifacts etc.) and Photographs.
  • Archives comprises of General Reference material, Film, Audio and Video (A/V) and Architectural collections (House history files, Architect database, maps and blueprints etc.)

How to donate:

Our collection was started and has grown since 1922 almost exclusively through the donation of artifacts, documents and photographs from the Kenilworth community. If you have an item you wish to donate, or even if you wish to know more about the item before deciding whether to donate, there are several steps to follow:

1) Contact KHS
Before you mail or drop off the item you wish to donate, please contact our Collections Manager via phone, email or in person to discuss whether we are interested in accepting the item for the collection. The item you wish to donate may already be represented in our collection or may not fit within the criteria of our collection policy. By scheduling a meeting with our Collections Manager we can best establish the significance of the item and whether it is a fitting addition to our collection.
KHS will not accept accept abandoned and/or undocumented items in person or through the mail and may dispose of such items pursuant to (765 ILCS 1033/) Museum Disposition of Property Act.
Email: khscollections@gmail.com
Phone: (847) 251-2565

2) Provide sufficient information
In order for KHS staff to have the best possible understanding of an items relation to Kenilworth it is necessary for donors to provide as much information on the item as possible. This information helps KHS staff to determine the significance of the donation, the donation’s ties to Kenilworth, and a clear succession of title for the item. In order to collect this information donors are asked to fill out this Receipt of Items form prior to or upon dropping off or mailing the items.

3) Complete Paperwork
Once it has been determined an item fits the KHS collection policy and will be accepted into the KHS collection a Deed of Gift will be prepared for the donation. The Deed of Gift officially transfers title of the donation to KHS. Donors will be provided with a copy of the Deed of Gift, which includes a description of the item/s and KHS collection Object ID reference number/s

Receipt of Items Accepted for Consideration as Possible Donations to the Collection

The Kenilworth Historical Society reserves the right to refuse donations to the collection. In the case of refusal, the donor is responsible for retrieving the objects within two weeks of notification. If the donor is unable or unwilling to retrieve the items the Kenilworth Historical Society may dispose of them as they see fit.