PRESERVE. RESTORE. EXPERIENCE.
We’re on a mission to revitalize a special piece of local history. Help us breathe new life into the Knox Hotel and offer visitors an elegant step back in time.
Why Restore the Knox Hotel?
The Knox Hotel was and always has been a hotel. After 160 years, it is still in great shape, eagerly waiting to restored and put back to use.
Today, the Princeton community lacks quality hotel options, and there are no hotels near the historic downtown shopping district. In addition to being a unique experience, the Knox Hotel helps fix both problems.
Some of the renovation has been completed and part of the hotel is functioning, but there is still much to do. We hope you will consider supporting this project in one form or another.
Building Overview
3 Floors - 15,000 sq ft
While the hotel is located on the upper floors, the first floor has three retail spaces, and a huge basement full of untapped potential.
13 Hotel Rooms
Unique, Victorian-themed rooms with a view. Four rooms are already complete and functioning, with two more in progress.
Historical Place Registry
The Knox Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a candidate for Historic Hotels of America.
Ways to Support the Project
BECOME AN INVESTOR
SPONSOR A ROOM
MAKE A DONATION
DONATE ANTIQUES
Our greatest needs are chandeliers, rugs, end tables, settees, light fixtures, artwork, and clocks!
Ways to Support the Project
BECOME AN INVESTOR
SPONSOR A ROOM
MAKE A DONATION
DONATE ANTIQUES
Our greatest needs are chandeliers, rugs, end tables, settees, light fixtures, artwork, and clocks!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Knox Hotel first opened as the “Union Hotel” in 1858 to serve passengers of the new railway through Princeton, Illinois. The hotel had a number of proprietors and names over the decades, operating as the Knox Hotel from around 1906 to 1929, and then the Northern Hotel until it closed in the 1970s. After that, only the first floor was used as a retail space, until the hotel re-opened in 2022.
The Knox renovation began in 2016 with a refresh of the exterior and first floor retail spaces. In 2021, the Stier family purchased the building and took over the renovation, focusing on the upstairs hotel. The first step was feeding all new utilities to the second and third floors.
The most expensive part of the renovation will be adding an elevator, and making the entrance handicap accessible. Currently, the only way to experience the Knox is via a staircase.
Additionally, we started by installing all new utilities in the front half of the building – plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and sprinklers. Those utilities are still needed in the back half of the building.
The renovation is made possible by support in the form of investments, sponsorships, donations, and grants. Investments and sponsorships have been the most valuable in moving the project forward quickly.
No, the Knox Hotel is not a non-profit or 501(c)3 company, so any donations are not tax deductible. Nevertheless, donations provide a major benefit to the hotel renovation.
With the current costs of materials, we estimate the need for $400,000 to complete the project over the next couple of years.
Contact Us
Due to a technical error, some previous submissions were lost. If you submitted this form before and never received a response, please fill it out again. Thank you!
956 N Main St | Princeton, IL 61356
(815) 780-2730 | stay@historicknoxhotel.com
© 2024 Stier Properties, Inc
All Rights Reserved