A couple of nights in the County Jail

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My kids stayed a few nights at the elegantly restored jail house when they visited Galena, Illinois. It was used as the county jail from 1878 until 1975. The building was empty for many years before it was purchased and converted into an award winning 6 suite luxury inn.Jail Hill Inn was named No. 1 in the US by TripAdvisor. Depending on the day of the week and the season, rooms range in cost from $295 up to $445 a night.

Construction of the $16,000 jail began in 1878 to replace the older jail that was destroyed by fire. The structure cost $16,000 to build. The bottom two floors of the four story building served as offices and a residence for the sheriff. The 3rd floor was for male inmates and there was a brick and steel barrier between the 2nd and 3rd floors to protect the sheriff and his famy. The 4th floor was for female prisoners.

A delicious 3 course breakfast was served each morning and in the afternoon a tray was delivered to the room with lovely homemade snacks and sweets and a bottle of wine.

This bit of art was created from old carvings dug into the cells prisoners.

There was a book of old newspaper clippings in the guest suites. One told of the man who stole an overcoat off a display dummy in front of the dry goods store when the weather started getting cold. He put it on and walked away, and was quickly apprehended. Since he didn't have the money for bond he was taken to the county jail, where it became apparent that he was quite pleased to have free room and board and a place to get an out of the cold.

It's no wonder that he wished to be there. I read that on Thanksgiving the Sheriff and his wife provided a meal that included roast turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, 3 different vegetable dishes, homemade bread, jello, cake, and pumpkin pie.

If you look at the mirror in this photo taken in the luxurious bathroom you can see the prison striped bathrobes hanging on a hook.

Remember that bottle of wine on the snack tray? The garden was the perfect place to enjoy a glass before bed!

This is definitely a place to return to for special occasions!

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Bang, I did it again... I just rehived your post!
Week 172 of my contest just started...you can now check the winners of the previous week!
!PIZZA
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How are you dear friend @ melinda010100 good morning
How much history in this place, it would have been quite an experience to stay in the old jail, the garden is really beautiful
Excellent photos, thank you very much for sharing them with us.
Have a beautiful day

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I have been pleasantly surprised by this publication dear @melinda010100.
Reading the history of the jail and seeing the pictures of the inn have created a strange, but captivating feeling for me. It is a beautiful little place.
I would have done the same as the coat thief. All for good lodging and free food.
I always get caught up in your stories and the beautiful pictures.
Love from Caracas.

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I'm so glad you enjoyed reading this!
!LUV
!LADY

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Your content has been voted as a part of Encouragement program. Keep up the good work!

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Thank you!
!LADY
!LUV

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That tray of snack and a bottle of wine that you get in the afternoon is impressive, here we don't give that eventough the price of the room is higher.
the owner of the hotel is so creative.
!LUV !PIZZA

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He cooks and serves the breakfast, bakes all the cookies and hors d'oeuvres that gets served on the afternoon tray and he cleans all the rooms himself. The Inn is his passion.

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(Edited)

PIZZA!

$PIZZA slices delivered:
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@melinda010100(4/10) tipped @blackman15

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(Edited)

Ahhh... Now it makes sense...

I saw your comment about a night in jail in the ecency server and obviously assumed you had robbed a bank since we last crossed paths... This a really cool idea for a break away from the norm and something I would love to try.

Alas, I cannot see the images atm but will pop back to check them out when everything is linking up as expected later as I am incredibly interested in this one.

Catch ya soon my friend, really lovely to cross paths 😀

Update... Images now loading after I posted comment.

Those robes and the afternoon tray are lovely touches. I would never have guessed from the style of building that this used to be a jail. Your use of the word elegant was absolutely spot on, it really is.

With the cost of heating our homes spiralling (like everything else, it seems) I am going to grab a coat and walk outta the store for free board and lodge as winter inches ever forward. I'm sure I will get a free Christmas dinner too! Bonus!!! 🤣

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The coat theft was done by one of the many homeless men during the Great Depression that were traveling the country searching for work or handouts. Kind of makes you wonder if we're heading in that direction again.

I am certainly enjoying seeing you active here again! 😘

!LADY
!LUV

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What a beautiful place, perfectly captured by your photos, that put it in a better level. Great way to present the story as well. Best regards from Cuba.

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(Edited)

Thanks! It is the kind of place that you want to save up some money so that you can return again!

!LADY
!PIZZA

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(Edited)

The place is Lovely, the interior Decor is incredible and the night view is beautiful too.

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I can't tell you that how much I liked this place in these images. Very pretty place and inspired by artistic work.

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Hahahs
This actually looks like fun jail, honestly!
They have trays to eat and beds and all of those unlike the ones in my country...lol

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I never liked jail but after seeing this post I'm in love with jail....very amazing place there wish I could come. Nice post and thanks for letting us know about such place.

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(Edited)

That's charming! I think it's incredible, it's a magical place, that garden is absolutely precious, I imagine enjoying a delicious dinner in the moonlight, with seafood, rice, and wine. For dessert a cool quesillo some pie of strawberries with cream.

And instrumental music in the background, the perfect dinner!

What a beauty of photos, they transport me back in time.

In a prison is where I would live with great pleasure, with that room service ha ha ha.

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(Edited)

Or we could have a Brandy Alexander for dessert. There is something quite festive about faming icecream! 💕

Wave Media

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Is so cool, really but ey, here is the "quesillo"

Imagen de cecilia216 en Pixabay

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Yum! It would go nicely with ice-cream. Let's have both!

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good but you have to pay the bill , I don't have money and I don't use cards, I hope you can pay with Hive :)

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That was pretty cute about the man who was happy to go to jail to get out of the cold and have a place to sleep. It's all in perspective.... right ?

That's a beautiful place and I bet it was fun to stay in.

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It was during the depression when many people were homeless or traveling the county in search of work. He probably wasn't the only one who put himself in jail to stay warm and get a good meal.

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The room rent for one night is very high but the way we see it is very old place and very beautiful map and very beautiful decoration inside. A person gets to learn a lot.

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Looks like it's time for me to go to jail! Oh wait, nobody's getting arrested in my city for crimes anymore, dang it.

Goofiness aside, this is a very nice inn. Simply unexpected. Thanks for sharing with us! 😊

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Thank you for your post! Enjoy our curation and 3 HSBI. 😊

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Ese ambiente se ve genial!!! yo crei que era una carcel tipo ALCATRAZ!!!

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Conversion in some old buildings is amazing with some forethought to design, layout and use.

Grand old jail now on the hit list for those visitors who enjoy somewhere unusual to stay, teaching children history of yesteryear at the same time by not destroying the structure.

!LUV
!LADY

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What a fun old building! I love the details like the lighting fixture that raises and lowers with the pullies and the wrought iron railing on the staircase. I finally figured out why Galena is so familar to me... there is a Galena, Kansas near my folks place in Kansas. Its on route 66 and has some neat old brick buildings down town. https://ecency.com/hive-163772/@steven-patrick/kansas-route-66 but I still think I have been to Galena, Illinois at some point just haven't remembered when or why yet 🤔

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