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Kenilworth Centennial Homes

The Suburban Ideal

1900 – 1914

An Experimental New Style

305 Kenilworth Ave.
305 Kenilworth Ave.

An Experimental New Style, 1900 – 1914

At the turn of the century, a group of Chicago architects, known as the Prairie School, revolutionized American residential design. Frank Lloyd Wright led the charge, but Kenilworth had its own pioneer: George Washington Maher. 

Maher’s bold implementations of Prairie School design greatly contributed to Kenilworth’s collection of significant architectural styles and left his indelible mark on Kenilworth. Maher designed over 40 structures between 1893 and 1924, including; the Kenilworth Assembly Hall, early Kenilworth schools, the Kenilworth fountain and adorning urns, and his own home on Warwick Road.

Prairie School homes embraced the horizontal. Low pitched hipped roofs, broad overhanging eaves, and ornamental windows integrated these homes with the surrounding landscape.

201 Cumberland Ave.
201 Cumberland Ave.

Within Kenilworth during this period,
the Arts and Crafts or Craftsman
style was also popular.
Representing a
departure from the elaborate nature of
the Queen Anne style and the formalism
of Classical Revival architecture, the
Arts and Crafts style emphasized simple
designs and natural materials.

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