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Our History
Our History

Take a Trip Back in Time

Although we offer all the contemporary comforts you've come to expect in a modern hotel, the Inn on Sheridan was actually designed to replicate the original Zion Hotel, also called the Elijah Hospice. Built in 1902, the Elijah Hospice was once the largest wooden structure in all of Illinois, and it served to house the dedicated workers who helped construct our beautiful city.
The Foundation

The Foundation

Founded by John Alexander Dowie in 1901, the Holy City of Zion began as one man's ambitious plan to create a religious utopia and theocracy. The city attracted thousands of people from across the world who believed in religious tolerance, racial equality, and self-sufficiency.
Shiloh House

Shiloh House

Maintained by the Zion Historical Society, John Dowie's beautifully restored 25-room Victorian mansion, the Shiloh House, is open to the public for self-guided tours. Walk back in time and learn all about Zion's early industries, including the lace factory, cookie and candy manufacturing, and the history of faith healing that still inspires residents and visitors today
By Design

By Design

As the second planned city in all of the United States, just after Washington, DC, Zion was designed in the pattern of the Union Jack Flag. The Church is at the center, and all of the city streets radiate to form both the Christian Cross and Scotland's St. Andrews Cross.