Shopping

Conn’s Hospitality Group started with Roy Conn’s first Springfield restaurant in 1948. More than seven decades and many successful ventures later, Roy’s son, Court and his wife, Karen, and Court’s sons, Casey and Adam, now run operations that include Inn at 835, Obed &; Isaac’s Microbrewery &; Eatery, Wm. Van’s Coffee House, and Merchant House. Each business is located in a different historic home or building in downtown Springfield and Peoria, Illinois that has been lovingly and carefully restored by the Conn family. Several of the properties’ ownership history can be traced back through the Conn family’s lineage.

The Dana-Thomas House (DTH) was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1902 for Susan Lawrence Dana, a forward-thinking socialite living in Springfield, Illinois. The home, the 72nd building designed by Wright, contains the largest collection of site-specific, original Wright art glass and furniture. Wright’s first “blank check” commission, the home has 35 rooms in the 12,000 square feet of living space which includes 3 main levels and 16 varying levels in all.

Rightfully regarded as a local treasure, the DTH is a gorgeous house museum. Following its acquisition of the House, the Illinois State Historic Preservation Agency undertook a major restoration project. The results yielded a beautifully preserved exle of Mr. Wright’s genius.

Beyond the essence of an architectural masterpiece of international significance, the house is a brilliant showcase of craftsmanship in glass doors, windows and light fixtures; terra cotta sculpture and an exquisite mural; it is the best preserved and most complete of Frank Lloyd Wright’s early “Prairie” houses.