LeClaire Hotel facts for kids
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LeClaire Hotel
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 Location in Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Location | Jct. of 19th St. and 5th Ave., Moline, Illinois |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1915 |
| Architect | Kirsch & Kolb |
| Architectural style | Early Commercial |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000025 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | February 4, 1994 |
The LeClaire Hotel is an important historic building. It is located in downtown Moline, Illinois, in the United States. In 1993, it was named a Moline Historic Landmark. The next year, in 1994, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes buildings that are important to the history of the country. Today, the building is no longer a hotel. It has been changed into apartments and is now known as the LeClaire Apartments.
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The Story of the LeClaire Hotel
The LeClaire Hotel was built in 1922. It was located on the east side of downtown Moline. When it was finished, it was the tallest building in the area. This area is now known as the Quad Cities.
The hotel was named after Antoine LeClaire. He was an interpreter for the United States Army. He helped with the treaty signing that ended the Black Hawk War. Antoine LeClaire and his wife owned a lot of land nearby. His wife was the daughter of a Sauk chief. Most of their land was across the Mississippi River in Iowa. But they also owned the land where the city of Moline was first planned.
Famous Guests and Fun Times
The LeClaire Hotel was a very fancy hotel. Many famous people stayed there. These included entertainers like Jack Benny. Even US presidents, such as John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, were guests.
The hotel had a special ballroom on the fifteenth floor. It was called the Top Hat. People would go there for "tea dances." A big band orchestra would play music for everyone to enjoy.
From Hotel to Apartments
The hotel closed in the mid-1980s. It stayed empty for ten years without an owner. Then, in 1995, a company called The Alexander Company bought it. They worked hard to renovate the building from 1995 to 1996. They changed the hotel into an apartment building.
In 2015, Monarch Investment and Management Group bought the property. They plan to make all the apartments "market-rate." This means the rent will be based on what similar apartments cost. This will happen as the current affordable units become available.
How the LeClaire Hotel Was Built
The LeClaire Hotel is 15 stories tall. It stands about 168 feet (51 meters) high. The building is supported by a strong frame made of reinforced concrete.
Outside the Building
The outside of the building is covered in brick. The first floor and the floor above it (called the mezzanine) are covered in stone. The building looks the same on both sides, which is called a symmetrical façade. It has a rounded arch at the main entrance. This arch is next to rounded arch windows. There are also decorative stone bands, called belt courses, around the building. The roof has deep, overhanging edges called eaves, with decorative brackets underneath.
Inside the Building
The inside of the hotel also has many beautiful details. There are wood panels on the supports. The floor has a checkerboard pattern. The stairs leading to the mezzanine have marble steps. The railings and posts of the stairway are made of ironwork. The ceiling has decorative beams. There are also ornamental designs on the pilasters, which are like flat columns on the walls. A talented artist from St. Louis, Fedrico Aquadro, created these designs.
