Kenilworth, NJ
General Description (1919 report):
"The village of Kenilworth, which had about 1,500 inhabitants before the war, is situated some 6 miles westerly of the city of Elizabeth. The plant of the American Can Co., in Kenilworth was principally engaged in shell loading and had 1,600 employees in July, 1918, a large number of them being girls living in the nearby towns, and some foreign labor, single men mostly, for whom no reasonable accommodations were to be had in this small village. The Housing Corporation planned to build 52 semi-detached houses for the families for the better class of skilled labor and for foremen, and in addition boarding houses for foremen and clerks, for common labor, and for negro labor.
"The village has trolley connections with the city of Elizabeth and is an attractive semirural district which would have made residences at this point not undesirable...
"From the sites as chosen it was about a mile to the railroad station, one-half a mile to the churches, 2 miles to the high school, a short walking distance to the factory and to a grade school, and a 5-cent fare by streetcar to Elizabeth.
"No particular distinction was obtainable by grouping the houses, but there was something gained in appearance by giving agreater setback to the central shouses of the blocks. Each yard was to be planted with shrubbery with a fruit tree and surrounding hedge, and vines upon the house."
