Mike Pop's Hotel

I talked to Mike Pop on the phone, asking him if he was OK with my using his name in the blog and if he had any links for me.  He sent me some links and the following information about his project.
The hotel was built in 1880 for the Italian Benevolent Society, basically it was a meeting house for the Carbonari (men who cut down trees, burned them, and made charcoal). The IBS used it for ten years and then it was vacant for about 40 years. It was opened as the Colonnade Hotel around 1938 and sold to the Labarry family in 1946. The Labarry's operated it as a Basque rooming house and eventually as a continental hotel (because it had shared bathrooms) until July 14, 1999 when I purchased it. I was the last paying guest to stay in the hotel. So far, I have only spent about $22,000 in materials for the renovations. Most of the materials were salvaged from the hotel or job sites in New Jersey.

Some weird facts about the hotel:
Kids used to roller skate in it when it was vacant.
A still was operated during prohibition in the basement, producing some of the finest whiskey in the county.
A doctor rented two rooms for his business. I still have the door that has, "Doctor's Office" carved into it.
I have the original sign that was posted along the highway boasting, "Steam Heat and Air Condition". (not air conditioning)
At one point, the town tunnel system connected to the Colonnade.
The property that I own next to the hotel was China Town until all of the houses burned down in the 1950's.
The two blue benches in front of the hotel date back to the late 1930's or early 1940's. I still have them and they are hand made from 2x4's.
The neon sign was removed in 2006 to protect it. It will go back up eventually.
The previous owner knew the day she met me that I would buy the hotel but it wasn't until ten months later that I did. She always called me, "Her guardian angel".

Hope this helps!

Mike
s457.photobucket.com
junormaneureka/Hotel Renovations Photobucket album
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