Kensington Boulevard Historic District facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
Kensington Boulevard Historic District
|
|
The main entrance to the northern portion of the district
|
|
 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Kensington Boulevard between Niagra and State Boulevard., Fort Wayne, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Area | 44.4 acres (18.0 ha) |
| Built | c. 1917-1930 |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival, Colonial Revival, Bungalow / craftsman et al. |
| MPS | Park and Boulevard System of Fort Wayne, Indiana MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 100004368 |
The Kensington Boulevard Historic District is a special area in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. This means it's recognized as an important historical place in the United States.
The district has over 170 homes built between 1917 and 1955. One house is even older, from around 1870. The area is known for its beautiful tree-lined streets.
Contents
Exploring Kensington Boulevard's History
The Kensington Boulevard Historic District stretches from Niagra Drive in the south to East State Boulevard in the north. The Maumee River is nearby to the south. To the west, it borders the North Anthony Boulevard Historic District. Pemberton Drive is on its eastern side.
The entire length of Kensington Boulevard in this area has wide, planted sections in the middle of the road. These are called esplanades and are filled with trees. The district was planned in two main parts. The southern part was laid out in 1917, and the northern part in 1921. Both parts follow a grid plan, meaning the streets are like a checkerboard.
Kensington Boulevard continues north past East State Boulevard. However, these extra blocks are not part of the historic district. This northern section was developed differently. It does not have the special esplanades found further south.
How Kensington Park Was Planned
The original development in the heart of the district was called Kensington Park. It also included homes along North Anthony Boulevard. These homes are now part of a separate historic district. The developer, W.E. Doud, wanted Kensington Park to be like the nearby Forest Park development. Forest Park is now part of the Forest Park Boulevard Historic District.
Kensington Park and other nearby areas were developed based on a "City Beautiful" plan. This plan was for the city of Fort Wayne. It was created by a city planner and architect named George Kessler. His plan became the basis for the Fort Wayne Park and Boulevard System Historic District. The plan set rules for how far back houses should be from the street. It also planned for rows of trees along the part of the development next to North Anthony Boulevard.
Discovering Architectural Styles
The Kensington Boulevard Historic District shows many popular house styles from its time. You can see homes in the Tudor Revival style, which looks like old English cottages. There are also Colonial Revival homes, which remind you of early American houses.
Other styles include American Craftsman homes, known for their natural materials and handcrafted look. You'll also find American Foursquare houses, which are simple, boxy, and practical. Some homes show Prairie School influences, with their low, horizontal lines. There are even a few Neoclassical homes, which look like ancient Greek or Roman buildings.
Later, some newer homes were built in the district. These include ranch homes and American Small House styles. These are simpler and more modern.
An old Italianate farmhouse from the 1800s was already there when the area was developed. The developers built around it. This farmhouse is unique because it faces away from Kensington Boulevard. Most houses on a street face the street, unless they are on a corner.
The homes in the northern part of the district, developed in 1917, are often grander. They are on larger lots and include styles like Tudor Revival. In the southern part, developed in 1921, the lots are smaller. The homes here are often less elaborate, like American Craftsman, American Foursquare, and Colonial Revival. Most of the newer, in-fill homes were built in this southern section.
Unique Entrance Structures
The district has three special entrance structures. These were part of the original Kensington Park plan. At East State Street, the entrance to Kensington Boulevard has square brick columns. These columns have stone tops and are connected to brick walls. The walls rise to the middle of the columns. The columns get narrower as they go up. The stone walls have brick details on top, which look different from the stone-topped columns. Another column is placed on the other side of each sidewalk, making a matching pair.
Similar entrance structures are at the south end of the first phase. These are on the north side of the intersection of Kensington and Lake Avenue. They also have round globe light fixtures. On the south side of this intersection, a similar structure marks the entrance to the southern phase. This one is made entirely of stone at the top. Like the one across Lake Avenue, it also has globe lighting.
Community Efforts
The Kensington Boulevard Historic District is part of the North Anthony Area Neighborhood Association. This group was formed in the 1970s. Its main goal was to lobby against widening North Anthony Boulevard to four lanes of traffic. This shows how local residents work together to protect their neighborhood.
