William J. Van Keuren

Pillinger Brothers

Queen Anne

The house was built in 1896 by the Pillinger Brothers and designed by William J. Van Keuren, who also designed Cicero Firehouse #2 which now houses Historical Society of Oak Park & River Forest. Its original owners were the artist Blanche Weyburn Kerr and her husband, attorney Robert J. Kerr, whose “Handbook of Mexican Law” was published in 1909. Robert’s brother, Dr. Ellis Kerr who lived in the house from 1912 until 1922 helped found West Suburban Hospital and was its first medical director. Ellis’ wife Dorothy Charlton Kerr was the first woman to serve as a Trustee on Oak Park’s Board of Trustees. A 1910 resident of the house, Blanche’s niece, Helena Saxby Gervais McCullough, was co-founder of the Wright Plus Walk architectural tours in Oak Park. The Kerr family owned the house until 1939 when it was sold to Charles and Gladys Harless. Homer and Agnes Sullivan purchased it from them in 1945 and sold it to Sylvester and Helen Kuenster in September 1950.

Robert J. and Blanche Weyburn Kerr