Ruebel Hotel
Why it's listed
Ruebel Hotel, at 207-215 East Main Street in Grafton, Illinois, is a two-story brick building completed in 1913 after a December 1912 fire destroyed the hotel that had operated on the site since 1879. Michael Ruebel, a Bavarian immigrant, started the original hotel and saloon. The rebuilt hotel has mottled brown brick on its main facade, a corbelled cornice, raised brick panels, and a central entry pavilion projecting over the sidewalk. Ground-floor storefronts once held a saloon, a lobby and shops, and a limestone basement holds a ballroom, cellars and a kitchen. Upstairs are thirteen sleeping rooms and a meeting hall with remnants of painted murals. The original carved mahogany bar survives. Local accounts called it the finest hotel in Jersey County, and it is the last hotel building left in Grafton. It was listed for its role in local commerce and as a good example of Commercial Style design. The building has been vacant since the 1993 flood.
Significance in brief: The hotel is argued to be significant for Commerce because it supplied lodging, storefronts, a restaurant and a saloon to the community, and it was known as the finest hotel in Jersey County. It is also significant for Architecture as a well-preserved Commercial Style building with intact interior spaces. It is the only remaining hotel building in Grafton.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 94000015, listed February 16, 1994. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 207--215 E. Main St., Grafton |
|---|---|
| County | Jersey County |
| Listed | February 16, 1994 |
| Reference number | 94000015 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1913 - 1943 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Commercial Style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant following the Great Flood of 1993. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 38.96945, -90.43229 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 94000015.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18157589
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.