Hotel Baker
100 W. Main Street

Click to enlarge image.

Colonel Edward J. Baker (1868-1959), whose name is associated with both great philanthropy and his champion horse, Greyhound, is one of St. Charles's most famous historical residents. Throughout his lifetime, Baker sought to develop St. Charles and he did so by dedicating time and money to enhance its beauty and improve the city's amenities. The buildings he built stand as a testament to Baker's love of the city. While Baker built several important buildings that remain local historical landmarks, perhaps the most famous of the buildings is the Hotel Baker.

After inheriting $20 million following his sister's death in the late 1910s, Baker set out to build the "biggest small hotel." In 1926, Baker purchased the site of the old Haines Mill and hired Wolf, Sexton, Harper, and Trueax of St. Charles to design the hotel. The final design of the building blended the latest technology with Spanish Romantic Revival architecture. This style reflects the similar architectural style found across the Fox River on the Arcada Theater. Notable exterior features of the five story building include: a square tower, a detailed center entrance with a unique combination of columns and a peacock-shaped stained glass window, gardens, terraces, and a putting green.

Hotel Baker had the latest in modern conveniences from kitchen appliances to building elements. The structure of the building itself incorporated brick, concrete, and steel-encased utilities--elements which made the building "fireproof." Instead of relying on outside services for electricty, Hotel Baker harnessed the power of the Fox River. Thanks to the use of this age-old method of energy production, the hotel avoided power outages, allowing guests to enjoy their stay in comfort.

Hotel Baker, 1942, , Illinois Digital Archives

While the hotel offered these conveniences and amenities to guests, the luxurious Rainbow and Trophy Rooms remained the highlights of one's visit. The Trophy Room, named for the number of trophies displayed, imitated a Spanish courtyard: balconies, awnings, a fountain, and a simulated sky all contributed to the creation of this environment. The Rainbow Room, with its oval glass block floor and custom pipe organ, provided guests with a dazzling place to dance and dine. Until a 1955 flood, red, green, blue, and amber lights beneath the floor created spectacular patterns. Unfortunately, following the flood, the lights could only be turned on and off.

In its heyday, Hotel Baker gained national attention. From the 1930s to the 1950s, it gained the nickname "Honeymoon Hotel." Famous entertainers appeared during the early years. The Rainbow Room featured the likes of Tommy Dorsey and Louis Armstrong. Also during this period, the hotel hosted gatherings for both local and national politicians. Among those who visited the Baker Hotel were John F. Kennedy and Mayor Richard Daley.

After living on the fifth floor of the hotel for thirty-one years, Baker died in 1959 at the age of 90. Dellora Norris, Baker's niece, inherited the hotel. After she failed to sell the hotel, she gave it to the Lutheran Social Services of Illinois in 1968. Following some remodeling, the hotel reopened in 1971 as an interfaith, non-denominational residence for the elderly. Although the upper floors of the hotel were restricted to residents, the main public areas remained open for public use.

In 1996, Craig Frank and Neil Johnson, both St. Charles businessmen, bought the hotel. Following a $9 million renovation, cleaning, and upgrading of utilities, the hotel once again the "Crown Jewel of the Fox," welcomed guests offering them the latest in technology and luxury.

For additional photographs, see these sources, more fully described in the Bibliography.

Hotel Baker Vertical File
Reflections of St. Charles p 117
Celebrating History p 7, 41
St. Charles on Parade p 51
St. Charles Illinois p 127, 128

Also see...

Baker Memorial Methodist Church
Baker Memorial Park
Old St. Charles Post Office
Haines Residence
Henry Rockwell Baker Memorial Community Center
Millington House
Municipal Building
St. Charles National Bank

Sources

• Architectural Survey, St. Charles Central District, St. Charles: St. Charles Historic Preservation Commission, 1995.
  
• Buchwald, Mary. "They Called this Man Colonel." Daily Courier News 30 July 1989, Lifestyle 1:1.
  
• "Colonel E.J. Baker, Whose Name is Synonymous with That of Vast Progress Congratulates the Beacon-News on the Opening of its Splendid New Publishing Facilities." Aurora Beacon-News, date unknown.
  
• Historic Hotel Baker--The Crown Jewel of the Fox. April 1999.
  
• Hotel Baker: A History in Progress, 1928-1998. St. Charles: Hotel Baker Group,1997.
  
• Clauter, Hazel. Our Community. 1967.