v27-1 Our Next Exhibit: The Story of the Edgewater Beach Hotel

By Kathy Gemperle

The Edgewater Beach Hotel opened 100 years ago on June 3, 1916.

On June 4, 2016 the Edgewater Historical Society Museum will present an exhibit about the world famous hotel that once stood on the Edgewater shoreline. Memorabilia from the hotel has become a favorite of collectors, many of whom never saw the place or walked its elegant hallways.

On our website is an article about the Edgewater Beach Hotel written by Adam Langer and reprinted with his permission. Despite being known country wide it was torn down in 1970 and replace with modern high rise apartment buildings.

We are seeking the loan of any memorabilia that could contribute to the telling of the story of the hotel from construction to demolition in 1970. We have plenty of ashtrays and swizzle sticks. We have a door key and lots of china and silver. We are interested in artifacts from things like the skating rink, the beauty salon, the barbershop or the floral shop. We are interested in any memories of working in the hotel, being a guest or visitor to the hotel, or of living in the hotel at the end of its history as a Loyola dorm. We are interested in any photos of the guest rooms. We have many of the hallways, the Marine Room, the Yacht club and the many other gathering rooms.

So dig into your archives and see what you might be willing to loan us. As a donor to the exhibit you will receive a special invitation to the preview reception. It is going to be a great exhibit and we hope it will be partnered by many businesses in the area. Contact us at www.edgewaterhistory.org or stop by the museum with anything you want to donate.