Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
A Paoli hotel built in 1895 to compete with the spa hotels in French Lick and West Baden Springs was named to Indiana Landmarks’ 10 Most Endangered, a list of historic places on the brink of extinction and worth saving.
Indiana Landmarks released its annual list Monday. According to Indiana Landmarks, The Mineral Springs Hotel served as the Paoli community’s social and recreational center for decades. It had an opera house in the lobby, a billiard hall, ballroom, bowling alleys and served as a Greyhound bus stop. The hotel closed in 1958, and various businesses occupied the ground floor until recent years.
Unfortunately, the vacant hotel has sustained water damage. In March 2025, strong storms blew a temporary roof off the building, and rain soaked the upper floors, accelerating the decline, according to information from Indiana Landmarks.
The building is on the south side of the Paoli downtown square and is part of the Paoli National Register Historic District.
According to the Orange County Historical Society, 600,000 bricks were used in the hotel’s construction. At the time the hotel opened, Paoli didn’t have electricity. The hotel owners added a power plant in the basement so guest rooms had lights. Excess power was sold to homes and businesses.
Other structures on the list include a rare polygonal barn in Waldron; a historic Black social club in South Bend and a high school gym in Seymour.
The entire list can be viewed here.