The Mansion at Elfindale, Springfield
November 2023
“Our guests are always surprised at how quiet it is even though we’re very close to one of the city’s main roads,” says Myra Skiles, Elfindale’s manager. “The mansion’s thick limestone walls act as an insulator to both noise and temperature.”
Built in 1892 by John O’Day, one of the region’s first millionaires, the 27,000-square-foot home offers 13 suites. O’Day’s wife, Alice, chose the name Elf-in-Dale because she imagined elves frolicking on the property in the early morning mist.
Fifty stonemasons from Germany quarried the limestone from the former 400-acre farm. The first-floor ballroom, with its hand-carved mantle from the French Pavilion at the 1904 World’s Fair, once served as the state dining room for Missouri’s governor.
Alice eventually sold the property to a French order of nuns from St. Louis. Until 1964, the nuns operated Saint de Chantal Academy for Girls within its walls. They built a chapel next door and commissioned European artisans for the 14-karat gold leaf mosaic above the marble altar, which guests can view upon request.
Several owners later in 1990, a bed and breakfast concept took shape to offset general upkeep. Central air and heat were added, and closets and hallways were converted to bathrooms. The main oak staircase was extended between the second and third floors; originally, a narrow servant’s staircase connected the upper floors.
That same year, the Springfield Symphony designated Elfindale as its designer showcase home. Decorators adopted each room, and their flair still pervades the mansion. On the upper floors (no elevator exists) suites contain clawfoot tubs with showers, Keurigs and mini-refrigerators. The turret room incorporates a curving staircase while other rooms showcase original stained glass.
The inn is family friendly and welcomes kids. A handicap-accessible suite is available on the first floor. The inn hosts various, including weddings which are held next door at the chapel.
My husband and I stayed in the second-floor Saint de Chantal room incorporated into the turret with a half-moon, curved wall that cocoons the king bed. Breakfast included biscuits and gravy, eggs, sausage and fruit. Nearby, we explored Wonders of Wildlife, Relics—the largest antique mall in Missouri—and the Route 66 Car Museum.
Visit MansionAtElfindale.com for more information.