What better way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Kensington Park than by forming an historical district!
Kensington Park is the earliest neighborhood within the greater Kensington-Talmadge Community Planning area. Sisters Abbie Hitchcock and Mary Gleason retained real estate agent William Douglas to design the Kensington Park subdivision in 1909, and the subdivision map was recorded in April 1910. They co-invested to develop and erect cobblestone pillars topped by lighting fixtures to mark the entrances to what was then an exclusive rural residential community, only 13-minutes away from downtown on the Adams Avenue electric car.
The sisters paid the property taxes from 1911-1912, which shows they owned the property when Douglas announced the inaugural opening of Kensington Park on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1910. By then, Douglas had sold a number of lots and custom or speculation houses were under construction. Douglas bought out the sisters in 1913, and continued to conduct his sales operation at 964 Sixth Street in the commercial district, from where he also marketed houses and lots in University Heights. His home, built in 1910, was on the southeast corner of Marlborough and Adams and still stands today. It now houses the Zensational Salon at 4689 Marlborough Drive.
The Kensington Park Houses
Prior to the creation of the Kensington Park subdivision in 1910, one house was located in what would become Kensington. That house, a two-story Craftsman shingle, was probably built in 1908-1909, at what is now 4080 Terrace Court, and still stands today.
Between opening day and the end of 1914, the County Assessor tax improvement lists show 106 houses built in Kensington Park. Of these original houses, twelve no longer exist, having been located on the west side of Terrace Drive and subsequently demolished with the completion of SR-15.
One house, the 1912 Oscar Grunert House, was originally located on the northeast corner of Adams Avenue and Marlborough Drive, where the Emerald gas station is located. The house was moved to its present location at 4679 Vista Street.
Other houses have been demolished and replaced with commercial buildings, condos or apartment buildings. Another was demolished when the church social hall was built.
Of the remaining houses from that time frame, many retain their original historic façade and could be designated individually as historic resources.
Houses built before World War One
Here is the collection of pre-World War One houses in Kensington Park that still exist today. Most of these houses are potential historic resources and could be nominated for individual designation. As we gather information about each house we will add it here. If you have something to contribute, let us know… all help is appreciated! This ia a work-in-progress, so not all houses have been added yet.
4150 Monroe Avenue (1913)
4190 Monroe Avenue (1914)
4533 Edgeware Road (1913)
4539 Edgeware Road (1913)
4549 Edgeware Road (1913)
4557 Edgeware Road (1913)
4581 Edgeware Road (1913)
4609 Edgeware Road (1913)
4615 Edgeware Road (1913)
4621 Edgeware Road (1913)
4626 Edgeware Road (1913)
4627 Edgeware Road (1913)
4632 Edgeware Road (1912)
4644 Edgeware Road (1911)
4645 Edgeware Road (1912)
4650 Edgeware Road (1912)
4651 Edgeware Road (1912)
4657 Edgeware Road (1912)
4663 Edgeware Road (1912)
4668 Edgeware Road (1912)
4669 Edgeware Road (1912)
4675 Edgeware Road
4733 Edgeware Road (1912)
4739 Edgeware Road (1912)
4748 Edgeware Road (1912)
4751 Edgeware Road (1912)
4757 Edgeware Road (1912)
4802 Edgeware Road
4727 Terrace Drive (1911)
4733 Terrace Drive (1911)
4739 Terrace Drive (1912)
4720 Kensington Drive - The 1910 Duehn-St. John House
4756 Kensington Drive (1911)
Home of Fred C. Martin, President of the Great Western Building Company
4533 Marlborough Drive (1913)
4555 Marlborough Drive (1913)
4561 Marlborough Drive (1913)
4621 Marlborough Drive (1912)
4669 Marlborough Drive (1911)
4689 Marlborough Drive (1910)
Home of William Douglas, sales agent for the Kensington Park developers.
4756 Marlborough Drive (1911)
Better Homes in America Movement
World War I brought a halt to home building throughout the country, and Kensington was no different. Although a few houses were built during that time frame, building did not pick up again until after the Better Homes in America Movement began in 1923. Here is the collection of potential historic resources built in Kensington Park after the first wave of development. Note the style changes to mainly Mission Revival.
4142 Monroe Avenue
4158 Monroe Avenue
4515 Edgeware Road
4523 Edgeware Road
4633 Edgeware Road (1924)
4638 Edgeware Road (1925)
4521 Marlborough Drive
4527 Marlborough Drive
4545 Marlborough Drive
4547 Marlborough Drive (1924)
4567 Marlborough Drive (1945)
4575 Marlborough Drive (1930)
This was once the location of a house built in 1912-1913. The current house was built in 1930, indicating perhaps the original structure burnt down and was replaced.
4605 Marlborough Drive
4609 Marlborough Drive
4617 Marlborough Drive
4621 Marlborough Drive
4625 Marlborough Drive
4631 Marlborough Drive
4637 Marlborough Drive (1923)
Built by the Great Western Building Company, whose motto was “A hammer used in the right way worketh wonders.”
Home of Fred C. Martin, President of the Great Western Building Company
Home of William Douglas, sales agent for the Kensington Park developers.
This was once the location of a house built in 1912-1913. The current house was built in 1930, indicating perhaps the original structure burnt down and was replaced.
Built by the Great Western Building Company, whose motto was “A hammer used in the right way worketh wonders.”
