St. Nicholas Hotel (Springfield, Illinois)

The St. Nicholas Hotel is a historic hotel building located at 400 E. Jefferson St. in Springfield, Illinois, US.

St. Nicholas Hotel
Location400 E. Jefferson St., Springfield, Illinois
Coordinates39°48′9″N 89°39′1″W
Arealess than one acre
Built
  • 1910 (1910)
  • 1924
ArchitectH. L. Stevens & Co.
Architectural styleGeorgian Revival
NRHP reference No.83000336[1]
Added to NRHPFebruary 10, 1983

The original building of the St. Nicholas Hotel was constructed in 1855. An annex was built on the hotel in 1910, and the current main building was constructed in 1924. The Georgian Revival main building was designed by the New York City architectural firm H.L. Stevens and Company. When the current main building opened, it was the second-tallest building in Springfield after the State Capitol.[2]

During sessions of the Illinois General Assembly, the St. Nicholas Hotel became a meeting place for Illinois politicians, who often conducted political business within the building. The hotel has hosted many notable visitors to Springfield, including three U.S. Presidents: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy.[2]

Paul Powell lived in the St. Nicholas Hotel during his term as the Illinois Secretary of State. After his death in 1970, the executor of Powell's will found $750,000 ($4.94 million in present-day terms[3]) in cash stored in shoeboxes, briefcases, and strongboxes in Powell's suite,[4] room 546 of the hotel.[5] As the money greatly exceeded Powell's salary, which was at the most $30,000 per year,[4][6] a federal investigation examined Powell's behavior while in office. The investigation determined that Powell had acquired the money via illegal cash bribes and led to the imprisonment of several state contractors.[4]

The hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 10, 1983.[1] It is the only remaining hotel in Springfield which dates from the 1920s or earlier.[2]

The hotel is no longer in operation, having switched over to apartments. The building is now referred to as the St. Nicholas Apartments.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. Russo, Edward J. (July 8, 1981). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: St. Nicholas Hotel" (PDF). Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  3. Inflation automatically calculated
  4. Grossman, Ron (February 24, 2013). "From hero to bum in a flash". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  5. "Flashback: Secretary of State Paul Powell". Chicago Tribune. 2013-02-21. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
  6. Aschburner, Steve (2008-12-10). "Déjà vu: Growing up with Chicago pols in the 'Land of 10,000 Snakes'". MinnPost. Retrieved 2013-12-27.
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