This homelike and comfortable little hotel has been known to visitors to North Vernon for twenty-four years past, and has gained a name for hospitality, cleanliness and general convenience that bring it a steady and satisfactory trade each year. The Kelly House is situated about one block east of the B.& O. S. W. railroad depot. It contains in all twenty-five rooms, which, though not large, are amply capacious for all requirements. The house is lighted throughout by electricity, and contains numerous evidences of comfort, thoughtfully provided by management which looks constantly to the welfare of guests. The table is provided bountifully at all seasons of the year with the best the market affords, and the service is all that it should be in a hotel that caters to a commercial trade. The owner of the Kelly House is Terence Kelly, who with his wife Maria Kelly, began hotel keeping in North Vernon twenty-four years ago, as above stated. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly are natives of Canada, but left the Dominion many years ago and went to Ohio, from which state they came to Indiana, making their home in North Vernon. The management of the hotel devolves on the Misses Mary and Emma J. Kelly, daughters, the elder of whom was born in Canada, and the younger in Ohio. They were educated in North Vernon, and Miss Emma is a graduate of the High School, class of '87. These ladies have made a study of hotel keeping in its every phase, and have succeeded in making the Kelly House popular with everyone who has passed a night or eaten a meal within its portals.

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    In March of 1913 the Kelly House burned down. In the January 29, 1914 issue of the North Vernon Plain Dealer the following article appeared.
    Olcott Brothers have asked the local building contractors for bids for the construction of a hotel building on the site of the old Kelley Hotel, which was destroyed by fire last March. Specification for the new building show it to be an up-to-date hotel building. It will extend from the street almost to the alley, will contain thirty rooms, will be covered with a metallic roof and heated by a hot-air furnace. The lobby will be large and elegantly finished and an open stairway will lead from the lobby to a reception room on the second floor. The dining room will be large enough to accommodate about fifty people at one time. There will be toilets and baths on both floors and each guest room will be so arranged as to have one outside wall, and will be fitted with all modern conveniences. The work of tearing down the remains of the old building will soon be begun and Messrs. Olcott hope to have the new hotel completed by spring. When completed they will place an experienced hotel man in charge. The new building will be a great improvement to our city.

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