Spring Valley House-Sulfur Springs Hotel
Also known as: Half-Way House
Why it's listed
Dee Bennett Road, just outside Utica in LaSalle County, Illinois, runs past a four-story limestone hotel built around 1849 between the Illinois River and the old stage coach road. Known as the Spring Valley House or Sulphur Springs Hotel, and later as the "Half-Way House," it measures about 63 by 42 feet and has a hip roof, coursed rubble walls and a central ashlar pavilion on the north front. Inside are guest rooms, a fourth-floor ballroom and small "sarsaparilla rooms" for drinks. Natural springs on the site fed a spring house that still supplies water. The hotel served stage travelers and also operated as a resort, drawing visitors for the sulphur waters and for entertainers, including violinist Ole Bull. Railroads and the canal reduced stage traffic, and the hotel fell out of use around 1862. It is considered important for its place in regional commerce and transportation and as an example of early limestone construction with classical features. It is now a private home.
Significance in brief: The hotel reflects the mid-19th-century commerce and transportation of the upper Illinois River valley, standing between the river and the main stage coach road. It also embodies early vernacular limestone construction of the region, with Greek Revival and classical features. Its large scale resulted from serving both stage travelers and resort guests who came for the spring waters and traveling entertainers.
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 87002055, listed November 20, 1987. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Dee Bennett Rd., Utica |
|---|---|
| County | LaSalle County |
| Listed | November 20, 1987 |
| Reference number | 87002055 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1849-1862 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular limestone construction with Greek Revival and Georgian-influenced classical elements |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now a private residence, with the owner's apartment on the ground floor and a tenant unit on the main level. The third and fourth floors appear to have been unused since the hotel closed. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.32321, -88.96319 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 87002055.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q48790724
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.