Kentwood, one of the four housing tracts that created Westchester, was announced in 1941 by owner/developer Frank H. Ayres & Son. In fact it was this son, Donald Burge Ayres Sr. (1900-1985), who really built Kentwood. (For more on Papa Frank, see Ayres Ave.) Don was brought aboard his father’s firm by the time he was twenty; the “& Son” became official in 1929. The younger Ayres was behind countless commercial and residential projects, from Mid-Wilshire down to Carlsbad, CA. He was also an avid yachtsman – a testament to both his and his father’s success. Don’s descendants eventually took over the family business and branched it out into the hospitality industry; there are currently more than 20 Ayres Hotels across SoCal. As for “Kentwood”, the name doesn’t seem to have any Ayres-related relevance; someone probably just thought it sounded nice.
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