Freeport Journal-Standard from Freeport, Illinois • Page 60

Former Owner William Petty Stands Behind The Check-In Counter Story By BOB WATSON Photos By STEVE SUMNER MOUNT CARROLL A close friend to Mount Carroll residents and countless other citizens for the past 90 years died a natural death here last month. But, lest mourners despair too long, it should be noted reincarnation is expected to occur shortly. The Hotel Glenview, a fixture in downtown Mount Carroll since it was erected in 1886 by the Mount Carroll Hotel ceased operations in mid- November as a hostelry. "We loved the hotel," said Mrs. William Petty, "but, as a practical matter, it seemed the time to sell it." She and her husband operated the establishment for the past years.

Practicality must be a factor-in the business world, even if it does involve a quaint, brick, three-story, 30-foqm ho- Although outward appearances will remain the same, by this summer the new owners hope the check-in counter will be renlaced with teller windows when the Carroll County State Bank begins operations. Promises of maintaining the antique decor come from Floyd England of Savanna, one of the proposed bank's organizers, but former guests and nostalgia buffs will not soon forget the Hotel Glenview. It was not necessary to look for a television set or a radio; they were not there. Beds did not vibrate when a quarter was put into a slot and there were no telephones. Gideon Bibles were in the desk drawers, though.

"When you walked in here, you walked into the past, right down to the bedposts," sighed Mrs. Petty, sitting in the lobby as antique dealers roamed through the building, inspecting possible purchases. Room rates were from another era, too. Mrs. Petty said up until recently they were charging from $5 to $21.

Inflation finally caught up to the Hotel Glenview, though, and shortly before it was closed, the minimum rate had jumped to $6. Petty, and the couple he purchased it from, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Macleod, are antique collectors and their hobby added to the aura of the hotel. Perhaps the most dominant antique in the entire place is a hand-carved oak sideboard with a marble top that sits against a wall in the lobby.

It was built in 1856 for the governor of Ohio. A Mount Carroll resident, who boarded in the hotel during the winter months 50 or 60 years ago, vividly recalled the friendly atmosphere: "Nobody, stayed in their rooms at night. There was always piano music, popcorn popping in the fireplace and games in the lobby. There were no radios and television so we had to entertain ourselves." During the years, the Glenview gradually changed from a boarder residence to a place for salesmen, guests of Shimer College and Chicago suburban residents paying a weekend visit to the country, Mrs. Petty said.

Now a group of businessmen hope to use the building listed as an Illinois State Historic Site as Carroll County's newest bank. "We hope to open by June or July," said England, who will be the bank's president. The group applied for a charter from the state in June 1975. Bank facilities will be located on the ground floor, with the only major change being the construction of a bank vault, England said. The other two floors may be used for offices at a later date, he added.

The structure may remain, but gone is the era of the hotel, which fortunately survived a fire as described by a local paper March 16,1894: "At 6:20 Tuesday evening, the Hotel Glenview was on ftre. The hose company and hook and ladder boys were out in three minutes. The flames were soon subdued with a loss to the structure of $200 and $100 to linens, all covered by insurance. "Guests of the hotel were delayed a half hour for supper." only The Hotel Glenview After 90 Years It Will Become A Bank Page 6 Freeport Journal-Standard, Weekender, Christmas Weekend. Dec.

24-26, 1976 TTre Hotel's Second-Floor Suite Was Exquisitely Furnished The Lobby Was A Comfortable Place To Relax Freeport Journal-Standard, Weekender, Christmas Weekend, Dec. 24-26, 1976 Page 7.