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The Country House
of Clarendon Hills
Address: 241 55th
Street, Clarendon Hills, Illinois 60514.
630-325-1444 *
Web-Site: The Country House
Location:
The Country House of Clarendon Hills
can be found twenty miles west of Chicago.
Description and History:
The Country House is a two story
building, a roadhouse restaurant, built in 1922, the dream of Emil Kobel,
who wanted to have a place where the locals could gather for friendly
conversation, a bite to eat and a drink of their favorite beer, wine or
beverage. The second floor was his family's home, while the first floor
became a tavern and a small grocery store, a convenient place to buy basic
food stuffs. Further inspired, Kobel created a picnic area on the land
just east of his roadhouse, a beautiful little park where people could
come together and have a meal on the picnic tables or the gazebos, under
the shade of the tall pine trees, black walnut and oak trees.
In 1957, The Country House was sold
to Richard Montanelli when Mr. Kobel retired. Richard Montanelli, a successful
Chicago business man, bought the place for his mother, so she could have
her own business, which worked out well for her, until her health began
to fail. The Country House wasn't kept up to snuff, and became in need
of sprucing up.
In 1974, The Country House was sold
once again, bought by local residents, brothers David and Patrick Regnery,
given a quick-fix clean up and kept open to rave reviews by college students
in the summer of '74. In the fall, The Country House was closed for detailed
renovation, which was badly needed, but reopened during the summer of
1975, with a new menu, but with the same philosophy; "To be a neighborhood
roadhouse where friends can meet for good conversation, a cold drink and
a gratifying meal."
The Country House is a very successful
restaurant and bar, which is located on the first floor, with the offices
and storage area located on the second floor. The brothers' menu item,
the Country Burger, has won acclaim and notoriety for the restaurant.
They have opened up two other restaurants in Lisle and Geneva.
History of Manifestations:
During the late '50's, the bartender
working at The Country House was having an affair with pretty blonde woman,
in her late twenties, who was a frequent patron of the roadhouse. One
evening, she came into the bar with her small daughter in tow, to visit
with her lover, tending the bar customers. Unfortunately, they got into
a fight, which greatly upset the young woman. She asked the bartender
to watch her child for a little while. When he refused, she left with
her child, and proceeded to kill herself by wrapping her car around a
tree near the roadside. Luckily, her daughter survived!
Manifestations:
The haunting of The Country House
began during the major renovation projects being accomplished during the
Fall of '74, through the Spring of '75, when The Country House was closed
to the public.
A young, blonde female apparition
likes to hang out in the bar, the storeroom, an upstairs room that was
once a bedroom and occasionally plays pranks in the restaurant area.
1) The Bar -
A) In the bar area, when David was having
a consultation meeting with a contractor, six independently operated
shutters opened in the same moment, suddenly flooding the room with
light.
B) The juke box has been known to
turn itself on, in the middle of the night. A workman working on the
men's bathroom late one night, heard the juke box turn on, and he went
to the bar area to investigate. He saw a young, blonde woman, standing
by the juke box. He was about to tell her that the bar was closed, when
he noticed that there was nothing but air from the hem of her dress
to the floor!
2) The Restaurant Area -
A) Patrons waiting for a table will
hear their names called by a woman's voice, but when they go up to the
hostess, it isn't their turn yet!
B) One hears footsteps walking through
the restaurant's dining room, which aren't accountable to a living person.
3) Upstairs Area -
A) Footsteps are heard in the hallway
and the rooms.
B) This blonde has been known to
sit on the window sill inside one of the upstairs room windows, and
beckons male customers from the street to come up and join her, which
is rather cheeky behavior, even for an apparition!
Events experienced throughout the
building... Could be her or perhaps she has company, another unseen resident?
1) Pounding on the walls.
2) Blocking the women's room from
the living.
3) Phantom crying babies.
4) Pots and pans in the kitchen
move about like they have a mind of their own.
5) In various parts and rooms of
the building, the smell of fresh flowers permeates the air.
6) Footsteps have been heard in
various parts of the building that can't be attributed to a living person.
Psychic Research:
After the first incident where the
young blonde entity first let the brothers know she was with them, a well-known
Chicago ghosthunter, Richard Crowe and two mediums were invited to investigate
The Country House, by David and Patrick. The mediums reported that they
felt the presence of a young, blonde, very pretty woman, who was looking
for someone she had loved and lost. They also reported that she died of
internal injuries.
Still Haunted?
Yes indeed!
As long as this entity
behaves herself, she is welcome to hang around The Country House.
Sources include: Haunted
Highway, The Spirits of Route 66, by Ellen Roson & Dianne Halicki. |
