One of the oldest buildings in West Virginia has a past that goes as far back as the American Revolution. It is a wellspring of history that still stands strong to this day.
The Greenbrier Resort, located in White Sulphur Springs, has been open since 1778, making it almost as old as America itself.
Located in the center of the resort is the Spring House, which a local pioneer known as Mrs . Anderson used to ease the pain of her rheumatism, a practice based on a native American tradition. The white spring house has long been the symbol of the property which inspired its original name of White Sulphur Springs.
The property was owned by the Caldwells, a wealthy Boston family. They turned the property into a resort that housed many notable guests and U.S. Presidents. A portion of the resort was also occupied by both the Union and the confederacy under Gen. Robert E. Lee (pictured below, middle, second from left) during the Civil War for use as headquarters and a hospital. It was almost burned down at one point during the war.
It wasn't until the C & O Railroad purchased the property that it became known as the Greenbrier, named after the county in which it resides, and was now located in a town that was named after the resort's original name. At that point, it had been closed for many years. Shortly after its reopening, a new wing was built, doubling the size of the hotels.
In 1943, during World War II, it was purchased by the U.S. Army and turned into a hospital that held 2,000 beds. It was re-named Ashford General Hospital and operated until 1946. It was then sold back to C & O who once again turned into in a resort.
It has remained a five star resort to this day. During its operation, it has been visited by countless celebrities and 26 U.S. Presidents, the last being Dwight D. Eisenhower. Since Eisenhower's presidency, the Greenbrier housed a secret doomsday bunker designed to shelter the members of congress in the event of nuclear war. The bunker was a secret until 1992 when the Washington Post announced its existence, prompting the government to decommission it after 30 years. It is now open for public tours.
