Kenwood

History

Kenwood is located on the Rancho Los Guilicos Mexican land grant. In 1887, the Sonoma Land & Improvement Company, which owned the property on which the town now sits, laid out lots in anticipation of the railroad which would arrive the following year. The infant community tried on many names: Rohrerville, for one of the owners of the land company; Los Guilicos, and then South Los Guilicos, for the Mexican land grant. South Los Guilicos Depot on the Santa Rosa and Carquinez Railroad opened in 1887. The First Congregational Church of Los Guilicos was built in 1888. It was relocated from the corner of Los Guilicos and Laurel to its present site in 1893. The parsonage was used for the Kenwood School until construction was completed in 1960. The original name of the church was changed first to Los Guilicos Congregational Church and then to its current name Kenwood Community Church. In 1981, the church was designated Historic Landmark 82 by the County of Sonoma. A number of townspeople were unhappy, complaining that "Guilicos" was hard to pronounce. Around 1895 a vote was taken to change the name again. One story says that Kenwood won because many of the settlers had come from Kenwood, Illinois. Another traces the choice to the fact that many landowners in the area were from old English families and so were familiar with London's Kenwood House. It is possible that both stories are true, and the name's permanence stemmed from its acceptability to different groups. Some notable people had ranches in the area, including mining, railroad, newspaper and banking magnate, Thomas Kearns, who was also a U.S. Senator from Utah. It is reported that he entertained President Theodore Roosevelt there at the Kearns Ranch, also known as the William Hood House. The World Pillow Fight…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of , all land. Under the Köppen Climate Classification climate classification, "dry-summer subtropical" climates are often referred to as "Mediterranean". This climate zone has an average temperature above in the warmest months, and an average in the coldest between . Summers tend to be dry with less than one-third that of the wettest winter month, and with less than of precipitation in a summer month.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  16,412
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  15,904
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  15,767
• Oak Titmouse

  Baeolophus inornatus (Gambel, 1845) · Aves
  15,668
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  15,210
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  14,483
• Dark-eyed Junco

  Junco hyemalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,658
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12,162

Largest nearby schools

• Rancho Cotate High
  High · Rohnert Park · 1,611 students · 21.8:1 ratio
• Maria Carrillo High
  High · Santa Rosa · 1,591 students · 23.4:1 ratio
• Montgomery High
  High · Santa Rosa · 1,572 students · 20.4:1 ratio
• Lawrence E. Jones Middle
  Middle · Rohnert Park · 791 students · 22:1 ratio
• Rincon Valley Middle
  Middle · Santa Rosa · 786 students · 24.6:1 ratio
• Herbert Slater Middle
  Middle · Santa Rosa · 716 students · 21.1:1 ratio
• Yulupa Elementary
  Elementary · Santa Rosa · 579 students · 21.4:1 ratio
• Evergreen Elementary
  Elementary · Rohnert Park · 558 students · 23.3:1 ratio