Est. 1893 · Last Continuously Operating Mineral Spa Hotel in Illinois · 1868 Mineral Water Discovery · Three Documented Owner Suicides
Okawville's mineral water trade began in 1867. Rudolph Plegge, a local tinsmith, noticed that one of his tin kettles had begun to leak after repeated use with his well water. Dr. James McIlwain Sr., a local physician, tested the water and found a high mineral content — magnesium and sulfur most prominent. Plegge teamed with C. H. Kelle, a neighboring farmer who had worked at the baths in Baden-Baden, Germany, and they opened a small bath house and gave Okawville's first mineral bath.
The operation grew through the 1870s and 1880s. In 1884, Anna Schierbaum visited the baths, reported that the mineral water restored her ability to walk, and persuaded her husband to acquire the property; the Schierbaums opened their hotel on Easter Sunday 1887, with Anna as general manager. In 1891, fire destroyed the original hotel and bathhouse complex. The current building opened on May 1, 1893, and has remained operational ever since, making the Original Springs the last continuously operating natural mineral spa hotel in Illinois.
The property at 506 N. Hanover Street holds 18 guest rooms, an active mineral bathhouse, and a restaurant. The phone is +1-618-243-5458. Three of the hotel's owners across its 130-plus-year history have died by suicide on the property; staff and historians cite these documented deaths as the anchor for much of the hotel's haunted-history reputation.
American Hauntings, an Illinois-based ghost-hunt and history-tour operator, has run an overnight 'Night at the Original Springs Hotel' program from the property as a $249 two-person package combining dinner, lodging, and a guided overnight investigation. The program runs limited dates and may currently be by-request — confirm with American Hauntings (217-791-7859) before booking. The hotel was featured in the 2019 Ghost Hunters episode 'Suicide Hotel.'
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_Springs_Hotel_and_Bathhouse
- https://www.theoriginalspringshotel.com
- https://www.bumpinthenight.net/night-at-the-original-springs-hotel
- https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/original
- https://www.ksdk.com/article/features/illinois-original-springs-mineral-spa-hotel-haunted/63-6f20af95-6e53-4348-9b10-78fdab7c339c
- https://www.enjoyillinois.com/explore/listing/original-springs-hotel-and-bath-house-1/
ApparitionsPhantom soundsTouching/pushingPhantom voicesCold spots
The hotel's standing folklore is anchored to documented history. Three former owners across the property's operating life died by suicide on site. One of the most cited cases is owner Tom Rogers, found dead in Room 350 on the third floor. Staff and returning guests describe the third-floor corridor near Room 350 as the property's most active space. One guest reported feeling pressure on her legs in the night while staying in Room 350 and asked to be moved.
The second floor is described by staff as a corridor they avoid: noises from vacant rooms are reported routinely, and one guest reportedly arrived in their assigned room to find another guest already inside, only to confirm at the desk that the room had been single-booked.
The basement laundry room — historians believe it was an in-house casino during the hotel's earlier decades — is another reported hot spot. Staff and guests have described hearing 'old-timey music' in the room and have noted what they describe as a presence.
The figure most often named in the hotel's legends is the Lady in White, identified in regional coverage as Anna Schierbaum, who according to a documented 1884 visit regained the ability to walk after bathing in the mineral water and convinced her husband to purchase the hotel. The Schierbaums opened their hotel on Easter Sunday 1887, and Anna served as general manager until her death in 1911. Ghost Hunters investigated the property and produced a 2019 episode titled 'Suicide Hotel' (Season 14).
Notable Entities
Lady in White (Mrs. Schierbaum)Tom Rogers
Media Appearances
- Ghost Hunters S14 'Suicide Hotel' (2019)
