Blue Sulphur Springs

In the mountains of the Virginias, there’s something in the water that has kept people coming back for centuries. It is widely believed that the different spring waters had healing properties that both prolonged and improved living conditions. Around many of these springs camps and resorts were developed. The two most lasting and successful springs resorts in the region are probably the Homestead (Hot Springs, VA) and the Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, WV). But in their heyday, there were probably a few hundred fledgling establishments trying to make a go of the mineral enriched waters.

All that remains of Blue Sulphur Springs is the springhouse itself. Sitting alone in pasturelands on a one-lane county road in Greenbrier County, WV it is difficult to imagine how it was. I visited the area with a friend recently and a wonderful coincidence enabled an up close experience that only increased our appreciation of this piece of West Virginia history.

The history of the Blue Sulphur Springs is detailed on this website, part of the University of Virginia’s Historical Collections at the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library. The following image shows a drawing of the resort published in 1857. On the left-hand side of the image is a small structure with columns flanked by trees on either side, I suspect that is the springhouse that is the only remaining structure. The road traveled by the stagecoach is most likely now County Road 25. Just beyond the image to the left is probably Kitchen Creek.

Edward Beyer’s print of Blue Sulphur Springs published in 1857, from UVA’s Historical Collections

Compare the drawing to the view from County Road 25 at present:

 

Earlier in 2013, Preservation WV listed the springhouse at Blue Sulphur on its most endangered property list. This has rekindled interest in the structure and work has begun to evaluuate the status of the structure and how to go about restoration.

While photographing the springhouse from the road, an elderly gentleman walked up to us and explained that he had just spoken with someone on the phone regarding the springhouse restoration and that he was going to take some measurements to help them work on the restoration project. He suggested that we might join him to help him with the measurements.

The ground is muddy. I was thankful for having waterproofed my shoes. We walked over to the springhouse and took every measurement you could imagine. During this process we learned more about the man who asked us to help. He moved to a farm just down the road when he was three years old. At 89 today, he’s spent most of his life in this quiet valley. He explained that when he was a kid he used to play in the old springhouse with his friends. It was in much better shape then and the ground inside was even tiled. This was a far cry than the structure we saw today.

The water actually has a blue tint

The foundation is in extremely poor condition

For more information on the Blue Sulphur Springs, the application for it's inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places has an excellent history.

If you ever visit this site, please be respectful of the structure and any signage or fencing. Take only pictures, leave only footprints--even if the nearest you can get is the shoulder of Co Rd 25.

Foot Traffic Only

About two weeks ago Chris and I were staying in Cumberland, Maryland for the night. We adore Cumberland. It is a great town for geocaching, hiking, steam trains, old buildings, and buying a lot of candy. While I could write at length of any of those topics, it is a pocket of vibrancy we stumbled upon on this Friday night that is worth penning.

Choosing to close a road to motorized traffic in favor of creating a public, pedestrian space is rarely popular at the proposal stage. But sometimes these spaces manage to come to fruition, despite doubts and protest.

While I know little of the history behind closing off three blocks of Baltimore Avenue in downtown Cumberland, I can say with confidence that this area was the most active, busy hub on a warm Friday evening. We could hear live music as we sought out a parking spot (which was not as easy as one may think in a small city!) and as we neared the road we could hear the voices of the crowd.

Shops, restaurants, and services line the street. Several of the restaurants had lines of potential patrons out the door. Multiple restaurants had outdoor seating, including one that had tables and chairs set up in part of the former roadway. People were milling about, taking in the music and enjoying one of last few warm Friday evenings of 2013.

This space offers Cumberland a venue, a place for people to go and people enjoy the urban element of this Appalachian jewel that is known more for biking and hiking now than for the grand city it once was. Virtually all of the statutory holidays are celebrated here along with their very popular farmer’s market. Dubbed the Queen City, Cumberland was once the second largest city in Maryland. While much history remains, Cumberland continues to work toward reinvention.

Unfortunately, given the time of day we enjoyed the pedestrian mall, I lack my own photographs.  But it should not be too difficult to imagine an older industrial city in Maryland, built with brick and mortar, with a street populated only by people and the occasional bicycle. In some ways, it’s like going back in time, before the automobile.