Historic National Road - Illinois
Archer House, IL

The Archer House is the oldest hotel in Illinois. Col. William B. Archer, the founder of Marshall, built the house in 1841 as a stagecoach stop. Archer House has some famous connections. Abraham Lincoln was a close friend of Colonel Archer and always stayed at the Archer House when hearing cases at the Clark County Courthouse. Colonel Archer was the first Republican delegate to the first Republican Convention that was held in Philadelphia. At that convention, Archer nominated his good friend Abe Lincoln for vice-president. Lincoln turned down the nomination, as he was not yet ready to enter politics. Grover Cleveland also stayed at the Archer House. Recently, the House has served as a bed & breakfast. It is considered a National Historic Landmark and is on the register of National Historic Places.