A historic two-story castlelike building in west suburban Lyons that dates to the 19th century was razed Friday after an early morning fire.



Lyons fire Chief Gordon Nord said the fire started at 2:30 a.m. at the vacant building at 3901 Joliet Ave., a short distance from the village's eight-story landmark Hofmann Tower that also resembles a castle.



Nord said the fire was extinguished by 6 a.m. He added that the building had to be razed because it was next to a baseball batting cage where children congregate.



Built in the 19th century, it served as a tavern and hotel called Chateau Des Plaines, according to documents provided by Lyons Library Director Dan Powers. The documents also indicated that it was later called Mangam's Chateau.



George Hofmann Jr., a local brewer, built the eight-story landmark tower that resembles a castle across the street along the Des Plaines River in 1908. He later used the two-story building for his brewing company. The two-story building was later remodeled with a castlelike facade to resemble his tower.



"It was a neat little building," Powers said. "I also always wondered what it was originally built for because it looked so unique."



Documents also indicate that the building was later sold to the Peter Fox Brewing Co. in the 1930s and a veterans group in 1958. The now-defunct Lyons Chamber of Commerce bought the building in 1962 but eventually moved out, leaving it vacant for years.



The adjacent Hofmann Tower, however, became a national landmark in 1978. It was the centerpiece of a recreational and entertainment area in the early 1900s developed by Hofmann's firm, according to the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. Hofmann also built the tower next to the river dam to generate electricity there.



Cathy Bergman of the Hofmann Tower Restoration League was saddened to hear the smaller building caught fire.



"The building has been abandoned for a long time, but we still lost a local landmark," she said.



Nord said he thinks the fire began on the first floor. The fire remains under investigation.