Atlanta announces its newest Route 66 attraction: Colaw Rooming House

[March 22, 2014]  ATLANTA — Return to Route 66, circa 1947, when you overnight at the Colaw Rooming House, where you'll experience a stop along the Mother Road before interstates and motel chains were the norm.

Located just two blocks from Route 66 in Atlanta, Ill., the Colaw House offers three bedrooms, two full baths, a charming living room with fireplace, a dining room, curved front porch and a delightful yellow and red 1940s kitchen.

To further enhance your step back in time, lodging at Colaw Rooming House includes a complimentary breakfast at Palms Grill Café, Atlanta's fully restored, circa 1935 small-town diner.

Not a typical bed-and-breakfast, Colaw Rooming House re-creates the experience of overnighting along Route 66 in a private residence, before the widespread advent of motels. Back in the 1940s, the Colaw House let rooms out on a longer-term basis, primarily to local, single teachers who worked in Atlanta. It now provides a unique experience that lets visitors travel the Mother Road as it was "back in the day."

The Colaw Rooming House is a public-private economic development project, supported by a grant from the Illinois Office of Tourism along with private funding from Parks Construction, a local Atlanta construction firm. The project's design was a combined effort of Parks Construction and the Atlanta Betterment Fund.

The public is invited to an open house at the Colaw House on April 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Colaw House is at 204 NW Vine St. in Atlanta.

Rooms are available via reservation, and the first floor is also available for family gatherings, rehearsal dinners, wedding receptions, baby showers or other events.

To make a reservation:

• Phone: [phone]

• Email: [e-mail]

• Online: www.thecolawhouse.com

[Text from file received from Bill Thomas, Atlanta Betterment Fund]