Rock Island Roadhouse: Captured in Pictures

On the quiet corner of 5th and 20th in the  heart of Rock Island you will find the Rock Island Roadhouse.  The Rock Island Roadhouse was  originally built as a Y.M.C.A. in 1912, was considered a sign of development as a community at a time when the city was corrupt and controlled by the notorious monster John Patrick Looney.  Being thought of as a frontier town (a little to rough and tumble for the nicer things) the Rock Island community was in need of resources, lodging and recreation and the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) hoped this building would fill that void. 

The money to build the building was raised during what is known as the Looney Riots. The Looney Riots were when then Mayor Harry Schriver had John Looney beaten. In response to this beating, mobsters were brought in from Chicago to riot in the streets. During this horrific time, they still managed to raise the funds to build the building.

Construction of the 4-story building, which was designed by architect Cyrus D. McLane and deemed “plain but attractive” was anything but ordinary. You entered through the highly detailed entrance arch which is believed to be a homage to the original 1890’s Y.M.C.A., located just blocks away. These detailed arches were not typical 1912 architecture. McLane combined artistic style with extremely durable engineering to create the fireproof building. The frame, floors and roof were constructed of reinforced concrete, while the exterior walls are constructed of structural tile faced with heavily textured red bricks.  

As you went through the detailed arches, and up the marble steps, you entered the magnificent lobby. A reading room was to the left, and the dining room to the right in the Northeast corner of the building. To the East of the dining room was the boys department hobby and game room which could also be accessed through a separate doorway.  

The pool, complete with an observation gallery, was referred to by many as the central feature of the basement and 1st floor. This was a much appreciated gift from Mrs. J. F. Robinson. In addition to the observation gallery in the pool, there was another gallery located in the large gymnasium. The gymnasium located in the Southwestern corner of the building was three stories tall, complete with a running track.  

The 3 upper stories were divided into smaller rooms. In addition to boarding rooms for both long and short term housing, the 2nd floor had public rooms for club meetings and classes. The 3rd and 4th floors were planned with 34 rooms that were said to be able to house 100 men, however the 4th floor was not completed until the 1920’s.  

From the moment it opened, the Y.M.C.A. offered the Rock Island community numerous resources, both indoor and outdoor including: a gymnasium, running track, pool, reading room, game room, lodging, racquetball courts, tennis courts, handball, basketball and so much more.

In 1927 the Kemble School was purchased and demolished to extend the Y.M.C.A. property.   The yard surrounding the Y.M.C.A. had a playground, as well as tennis, handball, basketball and volleyball courts.   

While serving as a Y.M.C.A. for over half a century, the building continued to be an essential community resource.  The Y.M.C.A. quickly became a popular stop for not only travelers but locals as well, as it offered many a place to stay, from railroad workers to those down on their luck with no place else to go. The Y.M.C.A. helped with the short-term housing pressure of the war-time era, as there were many soldiers passing through. Any soldier that showed up in uniform was allowed to stay at no cost. As a Y.M.C.A. the building hosted many events including balls, Halloween costume parties, Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas parties complete with a visit from Santa Claus, New Year’s Eve parties, and even an annual circus in the gymnasium!  

The large imposing building was also a front, away from the prying eyes of law enforcement, for a darker chapter of history. A chapter of bootlegging, being a speakeasy, brothel, gambling den, and a meeting place to discuss criminal activities. It was a neutral meeting ground for mob meetings for gangs from Chicago and St. Louis. During this time it became John Looney’s primary base of operation and a safe haven for his enforcers known as “Looney’s Boys,” who carried out his orders to protect his interests. Orders that included arson, assault, even murder. It was this darker chapter that made the Roadhouse notorious for its illicit activities, and being frequented by a wide variety of characters from corrupt politicians to hardened criminals .     

At 8:00 p.m. on July 15, 1972, Y.M.C.A. Executive Director Richard Young locked the doors of the Y.M.C.A. for the first time since it's opening.  The board of directors of the "Y" had decided to close the housing facilities of the building based on 3 factors.  It would help change the program concept of the Y, it would change the image and the building was in a condition which the board thought to be unsafe for residing.

January 27, 1976 there was a mysterious and devastating  fire.  A two alarm fire  broke out at 11:00 p.m. on January 27th.  Richard Young, the executive director of the Y said the fire apparently started in the main lobby and office area.  The fire was discovered by a Rock Island County sheriff's deputy.  A second alarm was declared at 11:16 p.m. and the 3rd shift was called in to help battle the blaze in sub-zero temperatures.  It took 40 firemen using 6 pumper trucks and an arial truck to fight the fire.  Luckily no was was living in the building since 1972, so the building was empty at the time of the fire.  The building however suffered a lot of smoke and water damage.

In 1977 the Y.M.C.A. closed the building to move into its new location.   

U-Haul used the building until the mid 80’s. Ultimately allowing the building to fall into despair.

In 1994, the building was purchased by Dan and Lisa Vinar and houses Dan Vinar Furniture to this day. Lisa and Dan put several hours into restoring the building to what you see today.

Even after the restoration by the Vinar's pieces of the YM CA past remained, including the old running track, pieces of the gym floor, and a few restless spirits.  In 2017, Lisa Vinar opened the building to the public for paranormal investigations and events under the name the Haunted Y.M.C.A. Rocks Island. 

Thanks to Lisa Vinar's efforts, in September of 2020, the Rock Island Preservation Commission made the building a landmark.  A status Lisa is proud of because it protects the building from demolition or major modifications.

On October 7, 2023 the Rock Island Roadhouse held it's first annual paracon, drawing in 1638 guests while offering the community an opportunity to  come together and learn from each other.  The event has continued to grow and in 2025 the Rock Island Roadhouse partnered with Get Haunted/ParanormallyBlonde and is honored to be a host of N.E.S.P.R.'s  Devil's on The Run Tour, featuring the iconic Annabelle.

Due to Y.M.C.A. being a trademarked name, in December of 2023, the name was changed to the Rock Island Roadhouse.  The name Roadhouse was selected as a Roadhouse is another name for a YMCA.  A roadhouse historically provided food, drinks, lodging to travelers, typically on or along a major road.  They were also known for an atmosphere that occasionally provided music, dancing and sometimes gambling.

The Rock Island Roadhouse and the spirits who reside here remind us of what once was a growing community struggling through a darker chapter including: prohibition, the Great Depression, World Wars and so much more. A time of mobsters like John Looney and Alphonse (Al) Capone. A time of madams like Helen Van Dale.