National Register of Historic Places

Mineola Hotel

Fox Lake, Lake County, Illinois
Listed
July 28, 1979
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79003785

About this property

The Mineola Hotel is a historic hotel located at 91 North Cora Street in Fox Lake, Illinois. The hotel is located on the western shore of Fox Lake, one of the lakes which forms the Chain O'Lakes. Thomas Parker purchased a tract of land along Fox Lake on behalf of the Union League Club of Chicago. The club intended to develop the property as a recreational retreat for its members and built a small clubhouse on the site. The Mineola Club of Chicago constructed the northern half of the hotel in 1888 as a clubhouse; the building became a hotel in 1891. Christen Knowles, Robert McNeil, and Charles O'Boyle were tasked with this section's construction. Edison Howard bought the hotel, opening it to the public, and built its southern half in 1903. The hotel operated as a hunting and fishing resort until it closed in 1963. Al Capone purportedly visited the hotel occasionally as a weekend retreat. The hotel was recognized by the National Park Service with a listing to the National Register of Historic Places on July 29, 1979. A bar and restaurant operated in the building until 2012, when the village closed it due to safety concerns; the village is now considering the building's demolition. Landmarks Illinois named the hotel one of the ten most endangered historic places in Illinois in 2013. The frame building features a three-story square tower above its front entrance, hipped dormers on each side of the tower, and a two tier verandah with Stick style ornamentation encircling three of its sides. It is the largest surviving frame building in Illinois.

Location

91 N. Cora St.
Fox Lake, Lake County, Illinois
42.40322, -88.17587

Categories

COMMERCEARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Mineola Hotel

This page lists Mineola Hotel. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Mineola Hotel report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Hall, David, House
Industrial
2.8 mi
Colby-Petersen Farm
Listed
5.9 mi
Count's House
Industrial
6.4 mi
Memorial Hall
Industrial
8.3 mi
Covell, Lucein Boneparte, House
Industrial
8.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Mineola Hotel listed on the National Register?

Mineola Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 28, 1979.

What type of historic resource is Mineola Hotel?

Mineola Hotel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Mineola Hotel?

The period of significance for Mineola Hotel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Mineola Hotel?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Mineola Hotel will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Lake County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Lake County.

Explore LakeCounty ›

More historic places in Illinois

Browse all historic places in Illinois.

View Illinoishistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Illinois history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Illinoishistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Mineola Hotel will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report