...Continued

In November 1883 JW was married, in Chicago, to Ada M. Foster, of that city. Ada was the daughter of Charles Foster, a well know newspaper publisher. Ada and JW Hill had four children-- Leila, Lucas Van Allen, James "Jay" Wilson and Ralph Brownell.

In 1886, JW built his stable and livery offices, and enlarged them the next year. They eventually measured 96 feet by 70 feet in depth, and could house 53 horses. Forty horses were used in the livery business. At the time JW was described as having "the largest capital investment of any single individual in the city".

In 1888, Mrs. AM Foster (Ada's Mother and JW's mother-in-law) purchased Lots 1 & 2, Block 35 of the Clayton Survey. In 1889, JW Hill bought the lots from his mother-in-law, and built the first brick home located on upper Spring Street (back then known as "The Boulevard"). It was constructed of bricks fired on site, and wood imported from New York. A combination of Steamboat Gothic and Eastlake architecture, the house was declared by JW to be "the prettiest and fanciest home on The Boulevard." It was reported that JW spent $17,000 building The Rosalie at a time when the average house in Eureka Springs cost between $500 and $1000.

There is a controversy regarding the year The Rosalie was built, as the house has a sign on it that states "1883". Published dates have included 1883, 1887, and 1889, which we believe is the correct date. It is hard to believe that JW Hill built the house five years before his mother-in-law purchased the land on which it was built. Also, the documentation submitted when Eureka Springs was designated a National Historic District shows a build date of 1889.

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