Lexington Hotel

The Lexington Hotel as depicted in a postcard circa 1906
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] that 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] On April 21, 1986 locked vaults found in the hotel were subject to a live television program called The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults, which received 30 million viewers. The building was demolished in 1995, in spite of the building being landmarked.[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.

References

  1. ↑ "July 19, 1891 - AMONG ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS. | Chicago Tribune Archive". Archives.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  2. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  3. 1 2 "April 15, 1984 - Former 'painted lady' to get a touch of class | Chicago Tribune Archive". Archives.chicagotribune.com. 1984-04-15. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  4. 1 2 "Lexington Hotel". Encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  5. ↑ "Raid Gangdom for 'Slayers' of Mike Heitler (May 2, 1931)". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  6. ↑ Hughes, John (2014). The Mafia Court: Corruption in Chicago. Trine Day. p. 22. ISBN 1937584526.
  7. ↑ Ogden, Tom (2014). Haunted Chicago: Famous Phantoms, Sinister Sites, and Lingering Legends. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 89. ISBN 149301238X.
  8. ↑ "Demolition of Al Capone's Headquarters The Lexington Hotel Part 1". YouTube. 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  9. ↑ "Al Capone`s Old Headquarters, 93-year-old Lexington Hotel, Gains". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  10. ↑ "The Lex rocks with style, amenities". Articles.chicagotribune.com. 2012-11-09. Retrieved 2016-12-02.


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