Kennicott House

Kennicott House was built in 1865 by John A. Kennicott, a prominent Illinois physician, horticulturist, and educational and agricultural leader. Kennicott moved to the Grove from New Orleans with his family in 1863 shortly after the birth of his son, Robert, 1835. He devoted much of his time to the study and promotion of horticulture and agriculture, developing the Grove into the first major nursery in northern Illinois. Robert Kennicott developed an interest in nature at an early age, studying with his father. He helped found the Chicago Academy of Sciences, and his explorations of Alaska gave the United States its first scientific knowledge of that region and influenced the decision for its purchase.