Kenilworth is a village and (ruined) castle in Warwickshire, England, but most places that share its name were inspired by Sir Walter Scott’s 1821 novel Kenilworth, set in 1575 during Queen Elizabeth’s visit to the castle. Our Kenilworth Avenue made its debut on the 1887 Ivanhoe tract, which of course was also named for a Scott novel. A separate tract called Kenilworth soon followed, located near Griffith J. Griffith‘s ostrich farm, which was run by English naturalist Dr. Charles Sketchley. In fact the farm – now Griffith Park’s Crystal Springs Picnic Area – was known as the Kenilworth Ostrich Farm. Although short-lived as a tourist attraction (1885-1889), it instigated the development of this part of town: That canyon-like stretch of Sunset Boulevard through Silver Lake and Echo Park was carved out for the train that brought downtowners to the giant birds. Neighborhoods soon popped up along the tracks.
Find it on the map:
