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St. Nicholas Hotel

Architect
H.L. Stevens & Company
Year
1855
Style
Neoclassical
City
Springfield, IL
St. Nicholas Hotel
Photo: Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
See it on the map

The St. Nicholas Hotel at 400 E. Jefferson St. began as an 1855 building, gained an annex in 1910, and was rebuilt with its current Georgian Revival main building in 1924, designed by the New York City firm H.L. Stevens and Company. When it opened, the new main building was the second-tallest in Springfield after the State Capitol. During sessions of the Illinois General Assembly, it became a meeting place where politicians conducted business, and it hosted three U.S. Presidents: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy.

the building

Second-tallest in the city. When the current 1924 main building opened, it stood as the second-tallest building in Springfield, surpassed only by the State Capitol — a marker of the hotel's ambitions as the rebuilt structure replaced the original 1855 building.

Paul Powell's shoeboxes. Illinois Secretary of State Paul Powell lived in the hotel during his term, in room 546. After his death in 1970, his will's executor found $750,000 in cash stored in shoeboxes, briefcases, and strongboxes in his suite — far more than his salary could explain.

the style

The current main building, completed in 1924, was designed in the Georgian Revival style by H.L. Stevens and Company, replacing the original 1855 hotel building.

More on Neoclassical

the architect

H.L. Stevens and Company, a New York City architectural firm, designed the 1924 main building.

significance

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel is documented for its role as a gathering place for Illinois politicians during legislative sessions and for hosting Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy.

nearby

All 26 buildings in Springfield