The area that became the town of Kensington was an established farming settlement when the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad arrived in 1873. In 1890, Washington financier Brainard Warner started a residential development to the south of the original settlement, gaining impetus for his enterprise the following year from the building of a new railroad station that made it easier for residents to commute to Washington, D.C. It was in 1891, too, that Warner built his turreted Handley Hall in the community, setting the standard for those who were to follow. The community was known then as Knowles Station, but Warner was so impressed by the beauty of Kensington Gardens during a visit to London that he persuaded his neighbors to change the name to Kensington.
