Burnham-Designed Kenilworth Landmark Sold For $5 Million

KENILWORTH, IL — One of the village's most historic homes sold this week for $5 million. The Classical Revival-style Root-Badger House was designed for Chicago music publisher Frank Root in 1892 and listed a century later on the National Register of Historic Places.

The stately home's listing on the National Register credits its design to renowned architect Daniel Burnham, the visionary behind the Plan of Chicago.

But according to the Chicago Architecture Center, plans for Frank Root House were actually drawn up by Franklin Pierce Burnham, the prolific Kenilworth Company architect who was not related to Daniel.

But Daniel Burnham supposedly did offer some support to the Kenilworth design, including providing pillars from the site of the 1893 Columbian Exposition, where he was busy as the director of works and unable to commit to the project, according to the center.

After Root — the home's second owner, according to Chicago Magazine — was Alpheus Shreve Badger, a lumber merchant from a prominent family who added a new wing.

The six-bedroom, 10,685-square-foot home is located on a 0.4 acre double lot. The formal living room opens into a side porch which view of the back lawn, according to its listing. The first floor also includes a music room, dining room with a fireplace, wet bar, spacious kitchen, family room and a second office.

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Upstairs, the master suite has its own fireplace, sitting room and two walk-in closets, while the third floor includes a workout room with treetop views and along with a fifth and sixth en suite bedrooms. The grounds include a coach house, in-ground pool, fountain, outdoor kitchen and three-car garage.

"This home offers a lifestyle that can compete with any 5-star hotel," said the listing from broker Mary Grant, who represented both the buyer and the seller and did not immediately respond to a request for more information about the property.

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Former owners Bob Spindell and Vicki Meier completed a restoration of the property in 2003, and the following year, they were honored with a preservation award from the Kenilworth Historical Society.

But the home still faced the threat of potential demolition. Landmarks Illinois listed it among the state's most endangered historic places for 2004, noting the property's large double lot and lack of legal landmark protections made it an appealing candidate for a teardown.

In September 2004 of that year, Bill and Maria Welch went under contract to purchase the house for $4.15 million. But that December, Gerald and Sharron Putnam stepped in and bought it for $4.2 million, according to property records. The New York Post reported in 2006 that the Putnams offered to sell back the house to the Welches, but the deal never went through.

The Putnams carried out another renovation, according to Chicago Magazine, expanding the kitchen and adding a movie theater and a 500-bottle wine cellar to its basement, and expanding its kitchen before listing the house for sale in April 2012 for nearly $9 million.

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In 2016, the Putnams, who had since become residents of the Bahamas, sold the house for $3.233 to a holding company they control and put it back on the market for almost $7.5 million.

In February, they cut the asking price to $5.9 million and an offer was accepted about eight weeks later.

The $5 million deal closed Tuesday, and the new owners have not been identified in public records.

According to Cook County records, the estimated market value of the property's two lots is less than $2.77 million, while its annual property tax bill is about $84,000.

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• Address: 326 Essex Road, Kenilworth, Illinois
• Built: 1896
• Lot Size: 0.4 acres
• Square Feet: 10,685
• Bedrooms: 6
• Bathrooms: 6 full, 2 half
• Last Sold: $4.2 million in January 2005
• First Listed: $8.95 million in April 2012
• Closing Price: $5 million on May 11

Listing information originally appeared on realtor.com. For more information and photos, click here.