Demolition and reconstruction is now in its 7th month and it has been an amazing journey.  Filled with highs and lows and still about two months to go until Jail Hill Inn will welcome its first overnight guests. In the end, from purchase of the building, securing the needed permits, demolition and full reconstruction – the project will have taken a year.  As construction enters its nearly final phase, the focus is on insulation, drywall, taping walls and priming.  Then final paint will put put on the walls, along with trim, doors, hardware, lighting and flooring.  The coordination of workers can be complex with so many projects relying on something else to be done before it can be.

In a couple weeks, Jail Hill Inn will be part of the 48th Annual Tour of Homes in Galena.  The property will not be complete, but will welcome close to 1000 people through its doors to discuss the history and purpose of the building from 1879 and get a sneak peak of how it will look when its complete.

In the next few weeks, Jail Hill Inn’s website will be redesigned and the online reservation system will be up to start taking reservations.  Keep checking this site and the Facebook page as we continue to detail the progress and final stages!

July has been a busy and exciting month at Jail Hill Inn.  With construction nearing the halfway point, much focus has been put on final framing of rooms, how electrical, plumbing and heating/cooling will lay out.  In addition, Jail Hill Inn and myself were featured on KCRG-TV 9 (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) on a special segment showcasing young entrepreneurs in Galena.  The positive feedback has been incredible with this large and complex project.  I have been spending my days picking out furniture, design concepts, flooring, towels, sheets, appliances, window treatments and many more items that will be required to be ready for opening day.  Below are some fun photos of the exterior and progress thus far.  Enjoy and I look forward to updating on an official opening day soon and launch of the online reservation system, etc.

Summer and warm weather is in full swing in Galena and things are getting really busy at Jail Hill Inn.  Carpenters, plumbers and electricians are in the building everyday working floor by floor and old walls are being taken out and new walls are being constructed.  In the end, when construction is complete, Jail Hill Inn will have 7 new bedrooms, 9 new bathrooms, 6 sitting rooms, 8 fireplaces, 1 kitchen, 2 laundry rooms, 1 dining room capable of hosting 15 people and three new staircases in 8,000 square feet of renovated space between four floors.  Oh, and one really big stone wall outside!

Jail Hill Inn is also excited to announce that the property will be featured in this year’s Historic Tour of Homes in Galena on September 26 and 27, 2015.  The property was featured several years back under different ownership and not the entire property.  This year, all four floors will be viewable as finishing touches may still be underway as we prepare for the October opening for the business.  This will be a great opportunity to tour the property and learn some of the history of the building while seeing all the exciting changes the renovation has created.