Stacy's Tavern
Encyclopedia
Stacy's Tavern is a historic wayside stagecoach
inn on the National Register of Historic Places located in DuPage County
, Illinois in the village of Glen Ellyn
. It was added to the register on October 29, 1974.
in 1832 was Moses Stacy and his family. Stacy often opened his home as a boarding house for passing travelers so when he constructed his new home in 1846 he opened it as a wayside inn. Stage coach travelers moving between Chicago
and Galena
, area farmers heading to market in the Windy City and settlers moving westward further still all made use of Stacy's Tavern.
For 50 cents guests could overnight, a night which included two meals and enough hay for two horses. At the inn they could wash with water from the indoor tavern well or warm themselves near the cast-iron stove. Stacy's was limited by law to allowing only five travelers per bed. The home was built in a modified Greek revival style and the boards were milled at a nearby sawmill, Gary's Mill and the bricks were hand made.
It was the railroad that hailed the death knell of Stacy Tavern as a wayside inn. Even after the arrival of the railroad Stacy and his wife continued to use the house as their residence until Moses died in 1870 and his wife in 1899. They are buried in nearby Forest Hill Cemetery.
The same year it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
, 1974, it was honored by the State of Illinois as the only tavern from its period still standing on its original foundation at its original location. In 1976 Glen Ellyn opened Stacy's Tavern to the public as a museum as part of the town's contribution to the American bicentennial.
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
inn on the National Register of Historic Places located in DuPage County
DuPage County, Illinois
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...
, Illinois in the village of Glen Ellyn
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Glen Ellyn is an affluent village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 Census, the village population was 26,999.-Geography:...
. It was added to the register on October 29, 1974.
History
Among the settlers flooding northern Illinois following the Black Hawk WarBlack Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a brief conflict fought in 1832 between the United States and Native Americans headed by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted soon after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis, and Kickapoos known as the "British Band" crossed the Mississippi River into the U.S....
in 1832 was Moses Stacy and his family. Stacy often opened his home as a boarding house for passing travelers so when he constructed his new home in 1846 he opened it as a wayside inn. Stage coach travelers moving between Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
and Galena
Galena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
, area farmers heading to market in the Windy City and settlers moving westward further still all made use of Stacy's Tavern.
For 50 cents guests could overnight, a night which included two meals and enough hay for two horses. At the inn they could wash with water from the indoor tavern well or warm themselves near the cast-iron stove. Stacy's was limited by law to allowing only five travelers per bed. The home was built in a modified Greek revival style and the boards were milled at a nearby sawmill, Gary's Mill and the bricks were hand made.
It was the railroad that hailed the death knell of Stacy Tavern as a wayside inn. Even after the arrival of the railroad Stacy and his wife continued to use the house as their residence until Moses died in 1870 and his wife in 1899. They are buried in nearby Forest Hill Cemetery.
Restoration
The Village of Glen Ellyn purchased the property in 1968 and along with the Glen Ellyn Historical Society restored it to the state of a typical tavern/inn of the late 1840s. Restorers studied old photos, removed numerous paint layers and analyzed architectural elements to detail the original construction of the tavern. Artifacts furnishing the tavern were collected by the Society from across the United States, the chairs in the Tap Room were made by an Illinois carpenter in the 1840s.The same year it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, 1974, it was honored by the State of Illinois as the only tavern from its period still standing on its original foundation at its original location. In 1976 Glen Ellyn opened Stacy's Tavern to the public as a museum as part of the town's contribution to the American bicentennial.