Lexington Hotel (Chicago)

Edit links
Coordinates: 41°51′11.5″N 87°37′24.0″W / 41.853194°N 87.623333°W / 41.853194; -87.623333
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the hotel in Chicago. For the hotel in New York City, see
The Lexington Hotel NYC. For the Vantage Hospitality chain, see Vantage Hospitality
.

Lexington Hotel
The Lexington Hotel as depicted in a postcard circa 1906
Map
General information
Completed1891/1892
Demolished1995
The hotel in a dilapidated state in the late 20th century (tour guide in foreground)

The Lexington Hotel was a ten-story[1] hotel in Chicago at 2135 S. Michigan Avenue.[2]

History

The Lexington Hotel was built in 1892 (or 1891[3]) for attendees of the Columbian Exposition.[4] The hotel is notable for being Al Capone's primary residence from July 1928 until his arrest in 1931.[5] After the Saint Valentine's Day Massacre, some commenters called the hotel "Capone's Castle."[6][7] It was later renamed "The New Michigan Hotel" and functioned as a brothel with 400 rooms.[3] The hotel closed in 1980.[4]

The hotel was featured on S7:Ep21 of This Old House. It was being renovated at the time.

On April 21, 1986, locked vaults found in the hotel were the subject of a live television program called The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults, which received 30 million viewers. The building was demolished in 1995, despite its presence on the list of Chicago landmarks and the National Register of Historic Places.[8][9] The location where the hotel once stood is currently the site of a 296 unit residential high rise called "The Lex"[10] that was completed in 2012.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lexington Hotel (Chicago).

References

  1. ^ "July 19, 1891 - AMONG ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS. | Chicago Tribune Archive". Archives.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  2. ^ "History Files - al Capone". Archived from the original on June 24, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  3. ^ a b "April 15, 1984 - Former 'painted lady' to get a touch of class | Chicago Tribune Archive". Archives.chicagotribune.com. April 15, 1984. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Lexington Hotel". Encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  5. ^ "Raid Gangdom for 'Slayers' of Mike Heitler (May 2, 1931)". Chicago Tribune. May 2, 1931. p. 2. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  6. ISBN 978-1937584528
    .
  7. ISBN 978-1493012381
    .
  8. ^ "Demolition of Al Capone's Headquarters The Lexington Hotel Part 1". YouTube. November 17, 2014. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2016.
  9. ^ "Al Capone's Old Headquarters, 93-year-old Lexington Hotel, Gains". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
  10. ^ "The Lex rocks with style, amenities". Chicago Tribune. November 9, 2012. Retrieved June 23, 2020.

41°51′11.5″N 87°37′24.0″W / 41.853194°N 87.623333°W / 41.853194; -87.623333


Stub icon

This Chicago-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lexington_Hotel_(Chicago)&oldid=1219211880"