Galena ยท Jail Hill
Jail Hill Inn
Jo Daviess County's 1878 jail, used until 1977 and empty for 26 years, opened in 2015 as a six-suite inn.
- Built
- 1878Built 1878 by Jo Daviess County as the county jail; used as a jail until 1977; opened as an inn December 26, 2015 (official history).
- Style
- Second Empire ('Empire-style' per the inn); brick and limestone
- Type
- B&B
- Rooms
- 6
- Area
- Jail Hill
- Credentials
- Inside a National Register historic district
The story
Jo Daviess County built the four-story brick and limestone jail in 1878 to replace an earlier one destroyed by fire, at a cost of $16,000; the sheriff’s family lived on the lower floors, male prisoners were held on the third and female inmates on the fourth. It served as the county jail until 1977 and then sat abandoned for 26 years. Galena native Matthew Carroll converted it into a luxury inn, and the first guest checked in on December 26, 2015.
Good to know
- Breakfast: included
- Parking: street
- No elevator
- No pets
- Address: 319 Meeker Street, Galena, IL 61036
Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.