Farwell and Oakley, 1928

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Chicago owes a lot to small-scale neighborhood developers.  This role is generally unsung, despite being responsible for the overwhelming percentage of buildings throughout the city.

Adapted from the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map

To the right is a site block plan of Kennett's Subdivision, recorded in January of 1928.  The depth is about 125' (typical for Chicago) and the frontages on Farwell range from 50' to 58'.  The corner lot has  a larger frontage of 77'.  Corner lots are typically larger in order to offset the loss of a private backyard and the exposure to traffic from two directions.  In urban areas the corner lots are often used to develop a greater number of less expensive units.  This development consisted of five 6-flat buildings and one 18-flat building, although some of the 6-flats have since been subdivided. 
Emma Kennett was the head of Kennett Construction Company and an experienced developer by 1928.  The Chicago Daily Tribune wrote a number of articles about her, in part because of the novelty of a woman succeeding in the construction industry. By 1928 she had developed more than 80 buildings in the Jarvis-Ridge-Howard area while raising three young children.  Mrs. Kennett worked in the office of a builder prior to marrying James Kennett, a Chicago building contractor.  When the marriage ended Mrs. Kennett re-entered the building profession to support her young family.  And apparently also her husband, who was receiving checks from her as late as 1935, when he disappeared in California under assumptions of foul play. 

By the late 1920s she had begun developing clusters of buildings.  This subdivision is in West Ridge, but most of her work is found in Rogers Park. 


North side of Farwell, west of Oakley

In one article she notes her horror of long barrack-like apartments, which she attempts to avoid using various eclectic architectural styles popular at the time. Above you can see examples of Tudor Revival, Italian Rennaissance Revial, and Spanish Mission Revival.   She claimed to have designed these buildings herself, although she worked with architects to make the plans technically correct. I don't put this beyond her at all.  In fact, she seems to have relished the details of construction, including the interior decor, lobby ornamentation and landscaping.  Officially Arthur Bucket is listed as the architect of record for the corner building and J.T. Fortin for the 6-flats.
One thing which baffles me is her assertion that the buidings she creates resemble private homes.  And the writer totally agrees.  Maybe it's the distance of 80 years, but in no way do these look like individual homes.  They look like apartment buildings.  Even 1920s single family homes of comparable square footage (I'm thinking of the North Shore) wouldn't resemble these.  Still, the attempt to create unique buildings that avoid regimentation is certainly accomplished.

Entrances along Farwell (in order)

You have to admire the level of detail that went into these buildings.  But one of the reasons I started with this group is not because of their quality, but because their constuction and appearance is so typical for this area and this time period.

As I investigate more of these clusters I want to examine Emma Kennett's team, which included investors, architects, contractors, and even an illustrator who created perspective renderings for publication.  My guess is that her body of work will be just as consistent as that of an architect working in the same period on similar types of buildings.