Mermaid House Hotel
Also known as: Mermaid Inn
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Built in 1830, the Mermaid House Hotel is a two-story frame building with clapboard siding and a tin roof on East St. Louis Street in Lebanon, Illinois. It is one of the town's oldest standing buildings. Its fame rests on a visit by Charles Dickens during his 1842 American trip. He spent a night at the inn after an excursion to Looking Glass Prairie and wrote in American Notes that its cleanliness and comfort would suffer by no comparison with a village alehouse in England. At the time of listing, the Lebanon Historical Society was restoring the building. New beams had been placed under it, later asphalt shingles removed, weatherboarding and window sashes rebuilt, and the exterior painted pale yellow with white trim. Heating, wiring and plumbing were installed, while interior floors and walls remained to be finished. Plans called for opening it to the public during the Bicentennial year.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is one of the earliest surviving buildings in Lebanon. Its greatest claim is that Charles Dickens stayed there in 1842 and praised its cleanliness and comfort in American Notes. It is also tied to the area's heritage, including Looking Glass Prairie and McKendree College.
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 75002078, listed December 4, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 114 E. St. Louis St., Lebanon |
|---|---|
| County | St. Clair County |
| Listed | December 4, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75002078 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1830 (19th century) |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Literature, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Under restoration by the Lebanon Historical Society; structural work largely complete, interior unfinished, with public opening anticipated for the Bicentennial year. Listed condition is fair. |
| Within district | Lebanon Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.60366, -89.80662 (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.
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 75002078.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14687875
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.