In a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jesus Christ commanded the Latter-day Saints to build two houses in Nauvoo: a temple, the house of the Lord, and the Nauvoo House, “a resting place for the weary traveler” to “contemplate the glory of Zion.” The Saints began building the Nauvoo House in October 1841, but by March 1844 had completed only the stone basement and part of the brick first floor. Because they could not finish both the Nauvoo House and the temple in a timely manner, the Prophet Joseph instructed them to devote all their attention to the temple. Around 1865, Lewis Bidamon, the second husband of Joseph’s widow Emma, began dismantling portions of the unfinished Nauvoo House, using the stone to build a stable to the north and the brick to remodel the building as it appears today. He and Emma eventually moved in and operated it as a hotel called the Riverside Mansion. This site was owned and maintained by Community of Christ until 2024.