Old Stone Hotel

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Old Stone hotel
Warren IL Old Stone Hotel1.JPG
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Location 110 W. Main St., Warren, Illinois
Coordinates 42°29′50″N89°59′28″W / 42.49722°N 89.99111°W / 42.49722; -89.99111 Coordinates: 42°29′50″N89°59′28″W / 42.49722°N 89.99111°W / 42.49722; -89.99111
Area 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built 1851
Architect F. Tisdall (builder)
Architectural style early Georgian style/Federal style
NRHP reference # 75000665 [1]
Added to NRHP April 16, 1975

The Old Stone Hotel, also known as the Warren Community Building or Warren House Hotel, was constructed in 1851 as a stagecoach station. It was located closely to the crossing of two stagecoach routes near the Illinois-Wisconsin border in the village of Warren, Illinois, United States. The building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Stagecoach type of covered wagon

A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses.

Warren, Illinois Village in Illinois, United States

Warren is a village in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,428 at the 2010 census, down from 1,496 at the 2000 census.

National Register of Historic Places federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred preserving the property.

Contents

History

The Old Stone Hotel, or Warren House Hotel, was built as a stagecoach station in 1851 by F. Tisdall. [2] [3] The current building maintains its historic appearance down to the white picket fence surrounding the structure. When the building was constructed two stagecoach trails crossed near Warren. The Chicago-Galena Trail and the Sucker Trail, which went from St. Louis to the lead smelting operations in Wiota, Wisconsin. [2]

Picket fence domestic boundary of evenly spaced vertical boards attached to a horizontal rail

Picket fences are a type of fence often used decoratively for domestic boundaries, distinguished by their evenly spaced vertical boards, the pickets, attached to horizontal rails. Picket fences are particularly popular in the United States, with the white picket fence coming to symbolize the ideal middle-class suburban life. Until the introduction of advertising in the 1980s, cricket fields were usually surrounded by picket fences.

St. Louis Independent city in the United States

St. Louis is an independent city and inland port in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is situated along the western bank of the Mississippi River, which marks Missouri's border with Illinois. The Missouri River merges with the Mississippi River just north of the city. These two rivers combined form the fourth longest river system in the world. The city had an estimated 2017 population of 308,626 and is the cultural and economic center of the St. Louis metropolitan area, which is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri, the second-largest in Illinois, and the 22nd-largest in the United States.

Wiota, Wisconsin Town in Wisconsin, United States

Wiota is a town in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 900 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Five Corners, Wiota, and Woodford are located in the town.

Architecture

The Old Stone Hotel was built in the early Georgian style and constructed from block limestone; the building's exterior remains unaltered from its original form and appearance. The east wing of the first floor was altered into a large ballroom but much of the rest of the first floor remains unaltered. Upstairs, is the building caretaker's apartment, which served as the station owner's apartment when the building was used as a stagecoach stop. The former third floor ballroom serves a similar purpose as offices for village administration. [2]

Limestone Sedimentary rocks made of calcium carbonate

Limestone is a carbonate sedimentary rock that is often composed of the skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral, foraminifera, and molluscs. Its major materials are the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). A closely related rock is dolomite, which contains a high percentage of the mineral dolomite, CaMg(CO3)2. In fact, in old USGS publications, dolomite was referred to as magnesian limestone, a term now reserved for magnesium-deficient dolomites or magnesium-rich limestones.

Ballroom large room for holding formal balls

A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms. In other large houses, a large room such as the main drawing room, long gallery, or hall may double as a ballroom, but a good ballroom should have the right type of flooring, such as hardwood flooring or stone flooring. In later times the term ballroom has been used to describe nightclubs where punters dance, the Top Rank Suites in the United Kingdom for example were also often referred to as ballrooms. The phrase "having a ball" has grown to encompass many events where person(s) are having fun, not just dancing.

Historic significance

The hotel was a stop along the crossing of two major stagecoach routes and hosted prominent visitors such as Ulysses S. Grant, a resident of nearby Galena, on multiple occasions. The building was restored and used as the Warren Community Building in recent years. On April 16, 1975 the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and its Keeper of the Register approved the listing of the Old Stone Hotel. [1]

Ulysses S. Grant 18th president of the United States

Ulysses S. Grant was an American soldier, politician, and international statesman, who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. During the American Civil War, General Grant, with President Abraham Lincoln, led the Union Army to victory over the Confederacy. During the Reconstruction Era, President Grant led the Republicans in their efforts to remove the vestiges of Confederate nationalism, racism, and slavery.

Galena, Illinois City in Illinois, United States

Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, with a population of 3,429 at the 2010 census. A 581-acre (235 ha) section of the city is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Galena Historic District. The city is named for the mineral galena, which was mined by Native Americans in the area for over a thousand years. Owing to these deposits, Galena was the site of the first major mineral rush in the United States. By 1828, the population was estimated at 10,000, rivaling the population of Chicago at the time. The city emerged as the largest steamboat hub on the Mississippi River north of St. Louis, Missouri. Galena was the home of Ulysses S. Grant and eight other Civil War generals. Today, the city is a tourist destination known for its history, architecture, and resorts.

The Keeper of the Register is a National Park Service (NPS) official, responsible for deciding on the eligibility of historic properties for inclusion on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The Keeper's authority may be delegated as they see fit. The State historic preservation officer for each state submits nominations to the Keeper. Upon receipt, the Keeper has 45 days to decide whether to add the property to the NRHP.

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References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 3 McCool, V.D. "Old Stone Hotel", (PDF), National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form, September 20, 1974, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, pp. 15, accessed April 29, 2008.
  3. "Warren Community Building", (PDF), Illinois Historic Sites Survey Inventory, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency , pp. 510, accessed April 29, 2008.