Plainfield Halfway House

Plainfield Halfway House is a historic building in Plainfield, Illinois, associated with the community's early settlement and nineteenth-century stagecoach transportation. The property stands on land originally owned by Squire L. F. Arnold, identified as Plainfield's first postmaster. In 1834, Arnold constructed a small building on the site that served both as a post office and as a stopping place for stagecoach travelers. The property changed hands in 1836, when a larger two-story building was constructed beside the original post-office and stagecoach structure. The new building operated as a tavern and inn. Its name reflected its location approximately halfway along the stagecoach route between Chicago and Ottawa, making it a practical stopping point for travelers moving between the two settlements. In 1837, Dr. Erastus Wight became manager of the establishment and continued operating it until his death in 1845. His son, Dr. Roderick Wight, then assumed management and purchased the building in 1850. Later that year, he added a one-story rear extension. The inn's scale and central role in local life gave it uses beyond lodging and food service. During its early years, it functioned as a meeting hall for town affairs and became a principal venue for Plainfield's social events. From 1856 until the Civil War, the Plainfield Light Artillery used the building as its headquarters, adding a civic and military dimension to its history. The building stopped operating as an inn in 1886 and was converted into a private residence. Members and descendants of the Wight family continued to live there until 1956. The original smaller structure used by stagecoach passengers was demolished during the 1940s, leaving the later inn building as the surviving historic component. Plainfield Halfway House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 29, 1980. Although the name resembles that of a hospitality business, the documented subject is a historic property rather than a contemporary consumer brand, operating company, or product line. Its significance rests on its connections with early postal service, stagecoach travel, local government and social life, the Plainfield Light Artillery, and the Wight family.

Plainfield Halfway House developed from an early nineteenth-century transportation and postal site in Plainfield, Illinois. Plainfield was first settled in the 1820s by a group whose stated purpose included converting local Potawatomi people to Christianity. The tract on which the later historic building stands was owned by Squire L. F. Arnold, who became Plainfield's first postmaster. In 1834, Arnold built a small structure on the property. It served as a post office and as a stopping place for stagecoach travelers. The property was sold in 1836, and the new owners constructed a two-story building adjacent to the original structure. This larger building became a tavern and inn. Its halfway-house name referred to its position on the stagecoach route between Chicago and Ottawa, where it provided a convenient intermediate stop. Dr. Erastus Wight became manager of the inn in 1837 and remained responsible for its operation until his death in 1845. His son, Dr. Roderick Wight, succeeded him and bought the building in 1850. Roderick Wight expanded the property later in 1850 by adding a one-story rear section. The building's size made it suitable for community functions as well as commercial hospitality. In its early period, it was used for town meetings and became a principal setting for Plainfield's social gatherings. The Plainfield Light Artillery occupied the building as its headquarters from 1856 through the Civil War period. These uses connected the property to local civic organization, community culture, and military activity. The building ceased operating as an inn in 1886. It was subsequently adapted as a private home, and Wight family descendants occupied it until 1956. The original small building associated with the post office and stagecoach travelers was demolished in the 1940s. The surviving building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 29, 1980, recognizing its role in the early development and social history of Plainfield.

• 1980

  Added to the National Register of Historic Places

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Plainfield Halfway House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 29, 1980.

• 1956

  Wight family residence period ended

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The property ceased being occupied by descendants of the Wight family.

• 1940

  Original stagecoach structure demolished

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The original building associated with stagecoach passengers was demolished during the 1940s.

• 1886

  Inn operations ended

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The building stopped functioning as an inn and was converted into a private residence.

• 1856

  Plainfield Light Artillery headquarters period began

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The Plainfield Light Artillery began using the building as its headquarters, a role it retained until the Civil War.

• 1850

  Property purchased and expanded

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Roderick Wight purchased the building and added a one-story rear extension later that year.

• 1845

  Roderick Wight assumed management

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Dr. Roderick Wight succeeded his father as manager of the inn.

• 1837

  Erastus Wight became manager

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Dr. Erastus Wight took over management of the establishment and ran it until his death in 1845.

• 1836

  Two-story inn constructed

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  After the property was sold, a two-story building was erected beside the original structure and began operating as a tavern and inn.

• 1834

  Post office and stagecoach stop established

  [1]Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Squire L. F. Arnold built a small structure on the property for use as a post office and a stopping place for stagecoach passengers.

A historic Illinois landmark interpreted through its former roles as a stagecoach stop, tavern, inn, civic meeting place, military headquarters, and private residence.

1. 1Plainfield Halfway Houseen.wikipedia.org