The Historic Hotel Baker in St. Charles IL
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- Hotel Baker is a historic landmark in St. Charles, Illinois, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been in and out of the hotel business since 1928.
Col. Edward J. Baker envisioned a luxury hotel and an escape for the community of St. Charles, and began construction in 1926.
Col. Baker and his niece Dellora Norris inherited the fortune of the founder of Texaco Oil, Col. Baker's brother-in-law John Gates, which they subsequently invested in the town.
Col. Baker was friends with people from all walks of life and wanted everyone to enjoy beauty and luxury no matter where they came from. When he decided to build the Hotel Baker, he told the architects to build their masterpiece. He lost his son and then his wife, and instead of living alone in his house, he moved into the Hotel, where he was always there to welcome people.
The Hotel Baker was built on the site of the old Haines Mill, which had been destroyed by fire in 1918 and was then used as a dumping ground for seven years. Col. Baker believed that a garbage dump should not be the focal point of his hometown, so he bought the land and construction commenced on what was to be "the World's finest small hotel." The Hotel cost $1,250,000 to build. It had its own operating hydroelectric facility, the first-ever lighted dance floor of its kind, and there was a radio station established from the Hotel's tower (which now exists as the "Penthouse Suite"). The Hotel Baker Gardens originally extended further than they do today, featuring a fishing pond and nine-hole miniature golf course.
The Hotel opened to the public on June 2, 1928, hosting a dinner for 301 people. Rooms cost $2.50 a night. Each room was decorated in its own unique style, so that no two rooms were alike.
Col. Baker considered himself "first and foremost a farmer" and owned nine farms in the Fox Valley area, from which food was provided to the Hotel Baker for guaranteed freshness in its kitchens.
The Rainbow Room, the most famous feature of the Hotel, was originally the Hotel's restaurant and ballroom. Performers such as Louis Armstrong, Lawrence Welk, Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo, and Eddie Duchin performed at the Hotel Baker atop its 63,000 watt dance floor of patterned red, green, blue, and amber lights. The floor originally could display patterns such as stars, an American flag, Christmas tree, or Valentine's Day heart. At night, the dam outside was also lighted in the flashing colors of the rainbow. A pipe organ with two consoles (one in the Rainbow Room and one in the Trophy Room) was played by the Hotel's organist, Mrs. Mary Bayliss, for people to enjoy.
The radio studio in the top tower of the Hotel broadcast music played in the Rainbow Room, and across the valley from loudspeakers installed in the top of the tower.
Col. Baker began to harbor a great interest in horse racing, building up Hotel Baker Stables with the leading record of wins of a harness horse stable. He received his title as a Kentucky Colonel in 1935, honored as part of the Commonwealth of Kentucky by Governor Ruby Laffoon, in recognition of his contributions to his home town and pursuit in raising horses.
The Hotel's lounge became known as the Trophy Room, for Baker put his vast number of racing trophies on display here as his trotters brought him more acclaim.
Col. Baker ran the Hotel at a yearly deficit. For its first 31 years in business, the Hotel Baker never turned a profit. As long as Col. Baker was there, he continued to provide the funding for all its luxuries.
Col. Baker passed away in 1959. In his will, he specified gifts to be given to his friends, but the remainder of his estate was left to his niece Dellora Norris.
Dellora operated the Hotel until 1970, when she donated the building to the Lutheran Social Services of Illinois and it was converted to an assisted living facility.
Over the years, the Hotel fell into disrepair. The retirement home, overwhelmed with the cost of upkeep, began selling artwork and furniture from the Hotel before eventually selling it in a sealed bid auction.
In 1996 two local St. Charles businessmen, Craig Frank and Neil Johnson, purchased the Hotel and began a renovation costing a rounded sum of $9,000,000. Hoping to re-establish the tired and worn retirement home back as Hotel Baker, Frank and Johnson spent two years cleaning, furnishing, and upgrading the utilities of the long-neglected property. Many of the original pieces of furniture were returned to the building. After the restoration and running the Hotel at a loss the first couple of years, the cost became prohibitive and the Hotel was sold in a bank auction foreclosure in 2003 to Rowena and Joe Salas.
The Hotel Baker continues to be the scene of many community and family functions-the center of life in the St. Charles Community.
www.hotelbaker.com
Beautiful hotel 😍
JAMIE'S DIZNEY KINGDOM It’s so pretty Jamie! Jen xo
@@JenandJoeontheGo 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Gorgeous hotel! Wow! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for watching. We really appreciate it. Jen xo
Wow amazing hotel and very luxurious. View is awesome too. Thank you for sharing
Travel and American Life with Bobby Of course! Jen xo
My cousin lives in Geneva and I love visiting that area. Beautiful hotel and great that you two support local businesses.
Ann Ellis Local business all the way! Jen xo
Gorgeous room💖Wonderful memories in such a beautiful place💖 Wow, that balcony view💖
I know, right! Thanks for watching Kim! Jen xo
Wow I loved this guys so much history loved those pictures on the wall and the scenery was great ❤❤❤👍👍👍
vwdw challenge It’s a beautiful historic hotel. Jen xo
Thanks so much for sharing the history - that was really cool to see! -- K
We Can Show You the World Aww! Thank you so much. This is such a beautiful hotel. Jen xo
This looks like something from a movie! Like a spooky movie 🍿 Jenn
Jenn & Mark - Fun and Fancy Free Lol!!!! It’s a beautiful, old hotel. Jen xo
I worked there 40 years ago! Fantastic Hotel and great review!!
Big Secret!!! We would go to that room and throw pumpkins into the river dam to watch them explode and get carried down the river 😂 😆 😂…. Wonderful memories!!
Hi Tom! It’s such a beautiful hotel and we love its history. Jen xo
I would love to stay there and lounge in the hot tub watching the Paddy’s Day parade! Looks gorgeous. Reminds me of the Shelbourne in Dublin style/decor wise. Beautiful!
Moira McGowan it’s such a beautiful, old hotel. Jen xo
Thanks for sharing. Now I know how this room looks like! We spent a night at the Col. Baker Suite a few weeks ago. (Back in the day, the suite apparently was the Colonel's apartment as he lived in the hotel). Room 503 (the room featured in this video) has a door that connects to the suite we were at. If we sat in the living room area of the suite, we could hear some of the conversation coming from this room... something to remember if you plan to book 503. ;-) ;-)
Lol! That’s so funny! We book that room every time we stay there. Maybe we should rethink that…Jen xo
Jen and Joe on the Go! Hi again I what you guys to do a tour at riverside pizza at st.charles
Hi Grace! We could try but it probably won’t happen until fall. Thanks for reaching out. Jen xo
Love the funny face photos at the end 🤣
Moira McGowan Hee! Hee! Jen xo
Jen and Joe on the Go! Hi again I what you guys to do a tour at McDonald’s
Hi Grace! I’m sorry that’s not something our channel would consider. Jen xo
Can can share the price of the room?
Lol! Jen xo
NKOTB members stayed there when their band mate Donnie Wahlberg got married at the hotel. Donnie is a resident of St. Charles.
Yes! It’s such an amazing, historic hotel. Thanks for watching. Jen xo