Guyon Hotel, Hotel in den Vereinigten Staaten
The Guyon Hotel is a ten-story building constructed in 1928 in Chicago's West Garfield Park area, distinguished by its Moorish Revival style with red and cream-colored bricks and elaborate terra cotta ornamentation. It was originally designed to hold 289 rooms across its floors and featured two large ballrooms on the second level, ground-floor retail shops, and a residential suite on the roof for the owner.
Built in 1928 by J. Louis Guyon, a nightclub owner who sought to provide middle-class residents with a quality hotel on the West Side, then a neighborhood of small homes and apartment buildings. After opening, the building became associated with organized crime connections, including weapons confiscations linked to Al Capone's gang and criminal activities throughout the early 1930s.
The hotel was deeply tied to the West Side's nightlife and dance culture of its era. J. Louis Guyon, the owner, held strict views about proper dancing and banned jazz and modern styles like the Charleston from his nearby ballroom because he believed they were morally harmful.
The building is currently vacant and in poor condition with falling bricks, broken windows, and roof damage, so viewing is best done from the exterior. The surrounding neighborhood is accessible and provides a clear view of the weathered facade and distinctive architectural style from the street.
Shortly after opening, police raided a suite and discovered machine guns, pistols, and rifles linked to Jack McGurn, a gang leader connected to Al Capone's organization. This incident cemented its reputation as a gathering place for organized crime during Chicago's Prohibition era.
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