O'Grady, Mr. J. William de Coursey, House
Why it's listed
Set on the north side of Kenilworth Avenue, about 0.4 miles from the village train station, this two-and-a-half story house was built in 1898 as a speculative venture for Kenilworth founder Joseph Sears. Architect Franklin P. Burnham, who worked for the Kenilworth Company, gave it a symmetrical Classical Revival design with Georgian Revival features: white clapboard siding, fluted Ionic corner pilasters, a modillioned cornice with dentils, and a pedimented central entrance bay. William de Coursey O'Grady bought the home in 1901 and was its first long-term owner. A semicircular Corinthian portico was added in 1936, and a side porch was enclosed around the same time. The lot straddles the Skokie Ditch, which is unusual on its block, and includes a detached garage from about 1922. The house is considered distinctive because most Kenilworth residences are Queen Anne, Tudor or Prairie in style, and it retains excellent integrity.
Significance in brief: The house is presented as a distinctive example of Classical Revival/Georgian Revival architecture in a village where most houses are Queen Anne, Tudor or Prairie style. It was designed by Kenilworth Company architect Franklin P. Burnham and built as a speculative venture for village founder Joseph Sears. It is also tied to its first long-term owner, William de Coursey O'Grady, who bought it in 1901. The form states the house has excellent integrity.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 08001167, listed December 12, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 149 Kenilworth Ave., Kenilworth |
|---|---|
| County | Cook County |
| Listed | December 12, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08001167 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Franklin P. Burnham (architect, Kenilworth Company); built for Joseph Sears |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival/Georgian Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Remains in use as a single dwelling; the form states excellent integrity, with a rear covered porch added in 2000 and further window work planned on the sun porch. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.09129, -87.71129 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 08001167.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q104855404
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.