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On US 24 through El Paso, Illinois, it’s impossible to miss this grand dame of the Italianate style, sitting in between the highway and the railroad tracks.
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While obviously originally a single family house, and in my opinion, the most lavish in the entire town, it was later converted into a motel and dining room. Below you can see a postcard that featured the motel.
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Efforts to save the building, which only closed in the last decade, are commencing, as you can read in the this newspaper article. I hope they’re successful.
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I love the cupolas that are the feature of many Italianate houses; there really are houses in Italy that look like this, though they’re usually stone. The cupola was a vent that drew hot air out of the top of the building.
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Much of the original woodwork remains, making this an attractive rehab opportunity.
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Here is an old photograph of the house; apparently it was owned by one James H. Wathen, and originally featured an ornate front porch, which is now gone.
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Update: On March 16, 2013, I spoke to a couple who lived on a farm near here for decades, and frequently ate at the restaurant. They said it was famous for its fried chicken.
