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Kenilworth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, approximately 17 mi (28 km) north of downtown Chicago. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore communities bordering Lake Michigan, and is the only one developed as a planned community. The village is known for its extreme affluence, being named the third wealthiest town in the United States in 2007.

Reputation
Kenilworth has a reputation as the wealthiest and most exclusive community in the Midwest. In April 2005, American Demographics magazine named Kenilworth's ZIP code (60043) the 11th most affluent in the US and in April 2006. In September 2007 Forbes magazine ranked Kenilworth as the 19th most expensive ZIP code in America and in a three-way tie, the richest zip code in America.

Education
Kenilworth has its own public school district, with its only school being Joseph Sears School, named after the founder of the village. The district is School District 38 in Cook County, and is the fifth most expensive K-8 district in the state of Illinois in per-student spending. The school, commonly known as Sears, runs from junior kindergarten through eighth grade, with about sixty students per grade. Sears has its own gymnasium, auditorium, library, and two high-tech computer labs, in addition to a blacktop and large fields behind the school. Annual events that go on at Sears include The Eighth Grade Play, the Spelling Bee, the Geography Bee, Scamper Night (concert put-on by the Girl Scouts), and Field Day (tigers vs. wildcats). Most students participate in one of the school's athletic teams, including basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, and field hockey.

There are no private schools in the small village of Kenilworth itself, but some K-8 students do attend nearby schools such as Sts. Faith, Hope and Charity, St. Joseph, St. Francis Xavier, Roycemore School, Baker Demonstration, and North Shore Country Day.

The vast majority of high schoolers in Kenilworth attend New Trier High School, the district high school just down the road, but others attend a variety of private schools including local and boarding schools. The most popular choices for students looking for alternatives include local private schools such as Loyola Academy, Regina Domincan, Roycemore School, and Lake Forest Academy, as well as schools on the East Coast such as The Hotchkiss School and Westminster School.

Kenilworth does not have its own fire department or library; for these services, the town contracts with the neighboring Winnetka fire department and with the Wilmette library. Kenilworth has its own police department and 9-1-1 call center.

Kenilworth Assembly Hall
Known as the Kenilworth Club, the Assembly Hall is a community building in the center of the village used for civic events for the town's gatherings, school-related events, and private organizations' meetings. This building is used for the annual Joseph Sears School benefits as well. The building was constructed by George Maher in 1907, and will reach its centennial commemoration next summer. The community house is used by the Historical Society, Joseph Sears School, and the Boy and Girl Scouts programs among others. In addition, a handful of yearly events go on at the Kenilworth Club, including Bingo Night, The Memorial Day Parade, and the Halloween Party. According to the official website, the Club's mission is, "To educate members of the community about the village, its history and architecture, as represented by the Assembly Hall itself; to promote friendly relations among its members; to serve their social needs; and to promote cultural activities, provide literary entertainment and encourage mental culture."

In recent years, the Kenilworth Assembly Hall has become a home for concerts and benefits hosted by local bands from New Trier High School and other surrounding areas. The title "North Shore Scene" has been appropriately coined by many students and teenagers to describe their association with the concerts and the bands that participate. The North Shore Scene has helped launch the careers of well-known artists such as Fall Out Boy and Blacktop Mourning.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.6 square miles (1.6 km�), all of it land. The highest point in the village is in the northwest corner, along Ridge Rd. This point is about 643 feet (196 m) above sea level, or 68 feet (21 m) above the surface of Lake Michigan.

History
Joseph Sears purchased 223.6 acres (0.905 km2) in one of the last undeveloped areas near Chicago's lakeshore for $150,300 in 1889. Joseph Sears' specification for the community was "large lots, high standards of construction, no alleys and sales to Caucasians only". Non-whites were allowed to live in the town only as live-in servants.[2] Seven years later, the population had reached 300 residents, fulfilling the legal requirement for incorporation. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,494.

- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia