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Mudlavia Hotel
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An old advertisement.
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You can see the remaining building boxed in the left.
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Where the hotel once stood. You can still see its outline.
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Note: You will want to view these by rolling your mouse over each thumbnail horizontally. Scroll passed the picture before you horizontally scroll back around to the next row. Scroll down as you do this.
Disclaimer: I have been researching information on this place for a while. One thing is for sure, there are many different stories concerning the history of this place. I have tried to compile the most accurate information I could find, but I am probably wrong on some of this.
Ahh yes, Mudlavia Hotel. This gem was built c. 1890. The history of this place is quite interesting, but not as much as many people would lead you to think. It was discovered by a civil war vet, who was digging a drainage ditch. He was digging this ditch to control water that was coming out of a spring. While digging it, he began to drink the water. He suffered from rheumatism and found that this water had a healing effect on it. (They still tap into these springs in the area and bottle the water.) The same man whose name appears on the neighboring town, Kramer got the great idea to build a hotel on the site to exploit the spring. Apparently they were very muddy springs, thus giving in the name "Mudlavia." Its original official title was, "The Indiana Springs Company." People from around the world would come. The place flourished until 1920 when a fire burned down the main hotel building. It is my understanding that it still operated even though the main hotel was gone. In fact several buildings caught fire. They built a retirement home, "Please Valley Lodge" in 1960. It burned in 1968. I think the remaining building was used as well during that time as you can see some evidence of modern wiring.
Now, there is also allot of lore attached to this place as well. This place was rumored to be a place for Al Capone to hang out or as a place the Dillinger Gang once went to for relaxation after a big heist. Neither of these claims can be substantiated. This brings me to my next comment. This place is also rumored to be heavily haunted. I am not a ghost hunter, a medium, or a paranormal researcher, but this place felt very empty to me. I did not get any creepy vibes or anything; just another old abandoned building. Believe what you want to believe.
What was left of the building was pretty amazing. I am not sure when this particular part was built. I have read it was built when the original hotel was built dating it to c. 1890. I have a picture up top that shows it was around in 1918 so it is at least that old. I have also read that they made a brick addition in around 1913 so perhaps this is that addition. I am not entirely sure of the original use of this building. I have read that this was the spa where they gave mud baths. However, it seemed to be a separate building which means it could have housed the workers of the Hotel. I really do not know. It was supposedly used as part of a retirement home used in the 1960's. I would believe that. This building had fluorescent light fixtures and modern looking wiring. Whatever it was used for, I am quite certain it was used then.
Exteriors
I should have came in the fall. The exterior shots are less than adequate and I apologize for that.
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Interiors: First Floor
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Boiler Room
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Second Floor
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The House
I know nothing of this house other than it was there.
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Storage Building
Again, I know nothing of this. It is cinder block, so was probably built around the time of Pleasant Valley, but that is just a guess. Definitely not part of the original building. However, there was a small brick building inside. It was quite unusual. Three of its walls were brick and looked to be fairly old, but the back wall was the same as the rest of the building.
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Overall, this place was amazing. It was old, in ruins, and had a lot of history. I will leave you all with pictures of the beautiful streams and nature preserve in the area. It is called the Fall Creek Nature Preserve. Enjoy!
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