|
St.
Charles
Nestled
in the heart of the Fox River Valley, the shopping and dining
districts of Century Corners and Old St. Charles reflect the city’s
early beginnings. The Hotel Baker and the restored Arcada Theater,
both located on Main Street, pay tribute to the roaring 1920s, and
the Municipal Center, built in the 1940s, even manages to blend in
with its historic neighbors.
The
copper-clad gazebos on the Main Street Bridge offer a nice vantage
point from which to view the Fox River rushing over the small dam
and take a closer look at the city’s four bronze foxes, which each
represent a vital element of the community — business, education,
religion and recreation. The pieces of art were made in France and
given to the city 30 years ago by Herbert Crane, a local resident
and businessman. They certainly are not the only foxes around. Stone
foxes decorate yards, and toy foxes pop up in shop windows. The
Thirsty Fox pub welcomes parched visitors.
Although
for several years I had intended to visit this area, partly because
of the touted monthly Kane County flea market, it was only recently
on a warm winter day that my husband and I spent a weekend in the
area. We did hit the flea market for a few hours one day, but I was
more impressed by the charming demeanor of the area and surprised by
the historic feel of the two communities.
Just
off Main Street lies Century Corners, home to an eclectic mix of
small shops. You’ll find the Stonehouse on Cedar store, which is
part art gallery, part gift shop and even has a small shed tucked
away behind the main building stuffed with antiques like salvaged
concrete, turn-of-the-century urns from an Iowa bank and vintage
farm tables.
My
favorite discovery, and a required stop for anyone who loves to
garden, is Scentimenal Gardens, which is filled to the brim with a
variety of things related to plants and flowers. Several rooms offer
a wide variety of items including antique Majolica roof tiles, dried
flowers, hand-painted furniture, vintage oil paintings of pansies
and roses, wicker plant stands, leather furniture, candles, and
pottery. The owner of the shop is also a landscape designer, and in
the warmer months the shop features antique roses, kitchen herbs and
potted plants.
Across
the street is Town House Books and Cafe, a shop crammed with both
books and personality. The maze of shelves invites you to wander,
perusing books at random as the floorboards creak beneath your feet
and the homey smell of coffee whets your appetite. Sit down and have
a snack there, or you can wander just down the street — maybe the
town’s airy chimes will be playing as you go — to the Warehouse
Confectionery. This spot combines folksy antique store and yummy
candy shop, including homemade chocolates. Don’t miss the
chocolate-dipped gingersnaps.
Also
in this area of town is a store called Panache, located in a
restored 1800s cottage,
which owner Cheryl Herman has filled with an eclectic array of
antiques, home and garden accessories, French soaps, and dishes and
linens.
Main
Street is also a shopper’s paradise, with shops lining both sides
of the street. Prairie
Gourmet offers unique high-quality kitchenware, cookware and gifts
for the gourmet cook, plus an array of cheeses and many other
specialty foods. The shop also offers on-site cooking classes.
There
are several places to spend the night, but if you want to splurge
and feel pampered, rest your head at the Baker Hotel. Built by
Edward J. Baker, a local philanthropist, businessman and millionaire
who is also responsible for Baker Memorial Community Center and many
local buildings, this 55-room hotel opened in 1928 and has become
one of the most famous spots in town. The hotel, called the Crown
Jewel of the Fox, has hosted many famous entertainers in its famous
Rainbow Room, including Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo, Louis
Armstrong and Lawrence Welk. In 1996, the hotel underwent a $9
million historical renovation. Even if you don’t spend the night,
you should take a peek at this small hotel with grand illusions. The
marble floors, hand-stenciled woodwork, original antique walnut
furnishings and lighted dance floor are just a few examples of why
this hotel earned a reputation for being the grandest small hotel in
the Midwest.
If
all that shopping and walking leaves you hungry, there are many good
options. Before
hitting the Kane County flea market early on a Sunday morning, my
husband and I enjoyed a hearty but healthy breakfast at Colonial
Cafe, a local tradition since 1901. The cafe is known for its
all-day breakfast, home-style cooking and, maybe most of all, its
"kitchen sink sundae," which is actually two banana splits
served together in a
replica of a metal kitchen sink. We managed to resist the tempting
dessert items, kitchen sink and all, but those who do indulge win a
bumper sticker to prove they ate it all. The walls of the charming
cafe are lined with old black-and-white photos of former employees
as well as scenes from the restaurant’s past and its original
owner’s humble beginnings as a small, local ice cream
manufacturer. The restaurant also sells boxes of Colonial Ice Cream
for those who want to take the taste home.
Most
areas of interest are located within a short walking distance, and
you can take a self-guided walking tour of the town’s historic
sites, which include several museums.
The
Dunham-Hunt House Museum, located at 302 Cedar Ave., is open
Tuesdays and Sundays in June, July and August. Built in 1836
with locally made bricks, this restored 19th-century home
is the oldest brick house in town and is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places. It was converted into a museum after
being owned by one family for 140 years. The site features six
different display rooms and hosts special holiday events.
[to top of second column in
this article]
|
The
St. Charles History Museum, located at 215 Main St., is open every
day except Monday and is housed in a remodeled 1928 service station.
The museum features rotating exhibits and permanent displays on the
history of the city, an extensive collection of Civil War, Native
American and 19th-century household artifacts, as well as
research archives and a gift shop.
The
William Beith House, located at 1850 Indiana St., is open Tuesdays
and Thursdays, June 6 though Aug. 24. This restored limestone Greek
Revival home was developed as a preservation study house, and
visitors can play detective discovering clues and piecing together
the history of the house.
The
Garfield Farm Museum, located at 3N016 Garfield Road in LaFox, is
open Wednesdays and Sundays, June through September, and by
appointment. Visitors can tour the only intact 1840s living history
farm and former Teamster Inn in Illinois being restored as a working
farm.
One
of the things that make this area special is the meandering Fox
River. Joggers trot by on walking paths, ducks slowly float by, and
an occasional fisherman tries his luck on the water’s edge. Follow
this river south, past small parks and Victorian homes, and it will
take you to Geneva.
Geneva
Although
you can easily spend a relaxing afternoon exploring St. Charles, one
of the best
things about this area is that just a few minutes away is the town
of Geneva, which has even more quaint shops, historic homes, and
more than 30 miles of biking and walking paths through prairies and
woodland settings. I’m very glad we decided to drive a little
farther and take time to discover this town.
A
thriving downtown business district features more than 100 specialty
shops located in historic storefronts and Victorian homes. Just on
State Street alone, there’s a store called Dingers Dog Bakery and
Boutique, selling low fat, all-natural dog cookies and imaginative
gifts for the discriminating owner and pets; an aromatherapy shop
and spa; and a European shop specializing in imported antique pine
tables and French fabric.
This is a shopper’s paradise, where everything from clothing and
housewares to gifts, jewelry and art is offered in shops along the
tree-lined streets.
One
of my favorite finds was Les Tissus Colbert — two floors of French
fabrics, antiques and furniture from England, Belgium and France.
Another whimsical store you won’t find just anywhere is Pariscope,
which bills itself as a French department store and is a like a big
candy store for adults who adore all things French. Everything from
vintage fabric to soaps and furniture is scattered about.
For
dining, I would recommend Le Berry Bistro, which is housed in the
Berry House Shops. Built in the Greek Revival architectural style in
1854, the historic Samule Berry house has been expanded and now
houses 12 shops and this restaurant on three floors, served by an
elevator which opens to the garden level and upper decks. The
restaurant’s specialties include leg of lamb, baked with crumbled
bleu cheese and served with grilled eggplant and tomato basil sauce,
and steak au poivre, a strip steak served with caramelized onions
and bordelaise sauce.
If
you’re just in the mood for a bit of light refreshment, don’t
miss Graham’s Fine Chocolates and Ice Cream. Owners Robert and
Beckie Untiedt are popular with local residents and tourists because
of their gigantic chocolate-covered strawberries and coconut almond
ice cream, among other tasty temptations. When I visited on an
unseasonably warm winter afternoon, customers were enjoying their
ice cream cones on Adirondack chairs plopped in the eatery’s front yard.
It’s
a pleasant town to spend a day walking around, because everywhere
you look you can see views of the river. Geneva owes its roots to
the Fox River, which was formed by the melting of the Great
Wisconsin Glacier that once covered the top half of what is now the
state of Illinois. The river was the reason settlers first came to
the Geneva
area, then known as the Big Spring. French traders and missionaries
first came ashore in the early 1830s to trade with the Indians and
settle. The city was called LaFox until 1850, when government
records were officially changed to Geneva.
Geneva
has a strong Swedish influence, due to the fact that when a branch
of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad, which was built in St.
Charles, was extended to Geneva, Swedish immigrants began settling
there. Chicago was the dispersal point for many of the immigrants
from Sweden, and as the Fox Valley area became more populated with
the Swedish newcomers, the city even designated a home for those who
needed assistance.
Geneva
has maintained its historical integrity, which can be witnessed at
the Geneva Historical Center, located in Wheeler Park, which
contains an interesting collection of rural and small-town
artifacts, costumes and furniture.
Although
the two towns are located approximately 40 miles west from the busy
streets of Chicago and the main streets through town are usually
packed with traffic, there is still a quiet, genteel nature to these
cities. Despite obvious suburban sprawl surrounding the communities,
glimpses of their history can be seen in the form of vintage red
barns and farmhouses that dot the roadsides. Once you pass the
shopping centers and new construction sites and enter the hearts of
these two cities, it’s refreshing to see the
restored downtown areas look much as they did a century ago.
[Penny
Zimmerman-Wills]
|
Strawberries
and nutrition
