Abandoned hotel in Illinois

Mineola Hotel, Fox Lake Illinois

Date added: January 31, 2023

Categories:
Illinois
Hotel

In 1883, Thomas Parker purchased the tract of land on Fox Lake known as Mineola Woods. Parker purchased this land for the Union Club of Chicago, Inc. for the purpose as stated in their by-laws; to provide recreation and social intercourse among their members. The Union Club built a small Clubhouse. In 1888, the Mineola Club, Inc. of Chicago purchased all the holdings of the Union Club and built the north half of the present building. Christen Knowles, a carpenter-contractor, Charles O'Boyle and Robert McNeil were the builders of the first section of the Mineola Hotel. All of the lumber and materials used in the construction of the Hotel was transported across the lake in steamboats.

The Hotel served as a popular hunting and fishing resort for many years.

Building Description

The Mineola Hotel is situated on the western shore of Fox Lake in the Illinois Chain of Lakes Area. The hotel is a large, three-story frame structure, built in two sections. The original section, the north half of the building, was built in 1888. The south half was added in 1903. The addition blends with the 1888 section, but angles slightly from the original section.

The 1888 section is a two-and-one-half-story, rectangular plan structure with a three-story square tower at the center of the main facade. This tower rises above the main entrance. The tower roof is pyramidal with superimposed decorative gable ends. The original roof line of the main structure was a low hip with three superimposed gable ends accenting the entry bay and each end bay. A large hipped dormer was located on each side of the tower. A wide, two-tier veranda covered three sides of the hotel. This veranda was decorated with stick-style tracery. A wide flight of steps led from the central main entry down to the beach.

In 1903, the building was extended with an addition to the south. The two-tier veranda was continued along the new section, but the decorative fretwork was removed. The railing was changed to a simple vertical baluster type. The roofline on the hotel was changed to a simple hip roof with nine gabled dormers. These dormers extended into open balconies. The 1903 section contains a large dining room on the main floor and a ground level that housed a bar. Today this bar (floor plan changed) is the only section of the hotel still in use.

In 1953, the entire two-tier veranda was removed, leaving the building in its present configuration. The building contains 79 sleeping rooms, a large dining room, a bar, a ballroom (now collapsed), and a few small parlors or sitting rooms. The floors throughout the building are hardwood, some parquet. The door and window casings are pine with bullseye decoration. Those in the 1903 section are less decorative.

In 1970, large plate glass windows were added in the ground-level bar section. At this time, the bar was remodeled. The stained glass windows from the main entry are hung in the bar as is the hotel room call box.

The removal of the verandas and the bar remodeling are the major alterations to the building. The building was last used in 1969 (except the bar still in use) and has received little maintenance since consequently, it is in poor condition. The interior is basically un-altered and approximately 80% of the original furnishings can be found in the building.