The Lighthouse Inn and Supper Club, Cedar Rapids’ oldest restaurant that has hosted several historical figures in its 112-year history, was destroyed in a fire early Wednesday morning, Aug. 14.
Cedar Rapids fire crews were called to the Lighthouse, at 6905 Mount Vernon Road SE, at about 5:20 a.m. and found the restaurant fully engulfed in flames. A passer-by reported flames coming from the roof of the building.
Crews from several Cedar Rapids fire stations responded to the scene and, after confirming there was no one inside the building, fought the fire from the exterior using aerial and handheld fire lines.
Mount Vernon Road SE near the restaurant was closed for several hours Wednesday morning as fire crews worked to extinguish the fire.
The building is considered to be a total loss, according to fire department officials. There’s no indication yet if the owners plan to rebuild.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
According to a page on the restaurant’s website, The Lighthouse Inn, built in 1912, was originally a small inn to enjoy drinks, dinner and “maybe rent one of the cabins that used to sit behind the restaurant.”
During prohibition, the restaurant became a regular stop for Chicago-area mobsters looking to “beat the heat.” Renowned gangsters such as Al Capone and John Dillinger dined at the Lighthouse, and a gun carried by Mr. Dillinger discharged inside the restaurant during one visit, putting a hole in the wall – which was subsequently repaired.
Two smaller stone lighthouses once stood at the site, but were destroyed when a driver fell asleep at the wheel. A large wooden lighthouse structure near Mount Vernon Road still marked the restaurant’s location from a distance.
The Lighthouse Inn is the oldest restaurant in Cedar Rapids and the second-oldest in Iowa, according to the history page. It’s also the oldest supper club in Iowa.
