Grafton

Ruebel Hotel

Grafton's riverfront hotel, rebuilt in 1913 after a fire took Michael Ruebel's 1879 original. It calls itself the last of its era in town.

Ruebel Hotel
Nyttend / Public domain
Built
1913Original hotel built 1879 by Michael Ruebel; destroyed by fire in 1912 and rebuilt (official); NRHP significant year 1913.
Style
Early Commercial
Type
Inn
Credentials
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

The story

Michael Ruebel built the first Ruebel Hotel in 1879 in Grafton, the oldest town in Jersey County, near the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. After a fire in 1912 it was rebuilt, and the National Register dates the present building to 1913. The hotel calls itself the sole surviving hotel of its era on Grafton’s streets.

The ghost story

Haunted Rooms reports that staff and guests often spot the spirit of 'a little girl named Abigail' roaming the hallways; the hotel's own site links to this account.

Source: www.hauntedrooms.com

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Good to know

  • Address: 217 E. Main Street, Grafton, IL 62037
Sources (2)

Last verified October 2026. Details change; confirm with the inn before you book.