Known as the "Village where time stood still", The Village of Elsah is a must-see stop on the Meeting of the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway. Founded in 1852 by James Semple, an Illinois State Supreme Court Judge and U.S. Senator, Elsah was one of the first villages to be added to the National Register of Historic Places in its entirety- comprising of 48 19th century buildings, all tucked cozily into a small valley between the towering Mississippi River bluffs.

When Semple bought the land and started a rock quarry on the west bluff, he offered plots of land at no cost to anyone who would use his stone to build their home. Many took him up on this proposal. The stone Semple offered was far from the best quality- if you look at the homes today, you can see that much of the stone is made of roughly shaped limestone, not finely shaped bricks- but the unique shapes, seemingly floating in the mortar, make the buildings unique and add to their rustic charm.

The village thrived as Jersey County’s principal grain shipping port, docking steamboats hauling fine lime from the village’s quarries, as well as livestock, and more. The river was the main artery to the heart of Elsah- the town was isolated from its neighbors and the steep, rocky terrain surrounding made reaching Elsah difficult. The isolation helped preserve the village’s architecture but made its economy dwindle over the decades. At the height of Elsah’s development, the town had quarries, saloons, hotels, docks, a school, music hall, and a post office.

Elsah’s multiple community buildings include the Elsah School (built in 1857), the Methodist Church (built in 1874), and Farley Music Hall (built in 1885). Most buildings in the village are built in the Greek revival, Franco-American, or Gothic revival style but there are also several federal style brick structures and other architectural examples, especially visible on renovated buildings.

For over 30 years, James Semple operated the town on his own but on December 23, 1887, Elsah’s Village Hall opened. Today, the Village Hall serves as the Historic Elsah Museum and houses artifacts, photos, and information exploring Elsah’s past. The iconic bell on top of the building was added in 1890 and is currently being restored by the Historic Elsah Foundation, incorporated in 1971 to preserve the town’s history.

In 1931, the architect Bernard E. Maybeck laid out the foundations and first buildings of Principia College, building the experimental Mistake House as an example using all of the architecture he intended to use in the campus’ main structures. The private liberal arts college offers tours of the campus where you can see Maybeck’s grand architecture for yourself.

Today, the Village of Elsah is a quaint place to stay with cozy bed & breakfasts and guest houses, quiet streets to take a walk, and welcoming local shops. Elsah is one of the many treasured stops along the Great River Road. During every season of the year, visitors enjoy traveling back in time as they walk the streets of Elsah to experience the spring blooms, the warm breeze of summer, the crunch of leaves underfoot in the fall and the light dusting of snow upon the ground in the winter.