The Inn at 835 was designed during the Arts and Crafts Movement by one of the area’s leading architects, George Helmle. The building’s founder was Miss Bell Miller, a turn-of-the-century local businesswoman and florist to Springfield’s high society.


Bell began her floral business in the early 1890s when she was only in her 20s. Her trade flourished, and she expanded her small floral business to a sprawl of adjacent greenhouses, which encompassed a city block. In time, Bell further expanded her business interests by building a luxurious apartment dwelling, on the property working with George Helmle in designing her dream at 835 South Second Street.


By December of 1909, Bell had created one of Springfield’s premier residences, with airy verandas, exquisite oak detailing, and massive fireplaces to warm the heart. Situated on a corner, near the neighborhood once termed "Aristocracy Hill", the building’s simple, dignified exterior design appealed to a refined sense of taste. As the years passed, an array of aristocratic tenants graced the luxury apartments


Today, this stylish, Classical Revival structure has been fully renovated to afford you every modern convenience without detracting from the sense of the gracious luxury Bell Miller created. The Inn is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been honored as a Springfield landmark by the City of Springfield.