Stacy's Tavern facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Stacy's Tavern
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 Location in Illinois
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| Location | Geneva Rd. and Main St., Glen Ellyn, Illinois |
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| Area | 0.7 acres (0.28 ha) |
| Built | 1846 |
| Architect | Stacy, Moses |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 74002195 |
| Added to NRHP | October 29, 1974 |
Stacy's Tavern is a very old and important building in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. It used to be a special kind of hotel called a wayside inn for people traveling by stagecoach. It was added to a list of important historical places, called the National Register of Historic Places, on October 29, 1974.
Contents
History of Stacy's Tavern
How the Tavern Started
After a big event called the Black Hawk War in 1832, many families moved to northern Illinois. One of these families was Moses Stacy and his family. Moses Stacy often let travelers stay at his home. Because of this, when he built his new house in 1846, he decided to open it as an inn.
Who Stayed at the Inn?
Many different people used Stacy's Tavern. Stagecoaches carried people between Chicago and Galena, Illinois. Farmers took their goods to sell in Chicago. Other settlers were moving even farther west. All these travelers found a place to rest at Stacy's Tavern.
Life at the Tavern
For just 50 cents, guests could stay the night. This price included two meals and enough hay for two horses. Inside the inn, they could wash up using water from a well. They could also get warm by a big cast-iron stove. There was a rule that only five travelers could share one bed. The building itself was built in a style called Greek Revival. The wood for the building came from a nearby sawmill, and the bricks were made by hand.
The End of an Era
The arrival of the railroad changed everything for Stacy's Tavern. Trains made travel much faster and easier. This meant fewer people needed to stop at inns along the road. So, Stacy's Tavern stopped being a busy inn. Moses Stacy and his wife continued to live in the house. Moses passed away in 1870, and his wife in 1899. They are buried in a nearby cemetery.
Saving Stacy's Tavern
Bringing the Past to Life
In 1968, the village of Glen Ellyn bought the property. They worked with the Glen Ellyn Historical Society to fix it up. Their goal was to make it look just like a typical inn from the late 1840s. To do this, they carefully studied old photos. They also removed many layers of paint to see the original colors. They looked closely at how the building was first put together.
A Museum for Everyone
The Society collected old items from all over the United States to furnish the tavern. For example, the chairs in the Tap Room were made by an Illinois carpenter in the 1840s. In 1974, Stacy's Tavern was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Illinois also honored it as the only tavern from its time still standing in its original spot. In 1976, Glen Ellyn opened Stacy's Tavern to the public as a museum. This was part of the town's celebration of the American Bicentennial.
