Celebrities Used To Flock To This Tiny West Virginia Town To Experience Its Healing Mineral Waters
Martin Van Buren. Henry Clay. John Calhoun. Do you recognize any of those names? Do you know what they all have in common? Once upon a time, they (and many others) all spent time at Salt Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a resort town turned private home that dates back to the early 1800s.
Tucked away in the rolling hills of Monroe County is the largest collection of stone buildings in the state of West Virginia.
That complex, the old Salt Sulphur Springs Resort, was once a thriving tourist attraction, drawing folks from all across the United States to come enjoy its healing mineral waters.
The curative water coming out of Salt Sulphur Spring contained sulfate, sodium, calcium, and bicarbonate and was used for baths, soaks, and tonics. When the Civil War hit, Confederate regiments headquartered here as they had need.
Changes brought about by the Civil War and by the building of the railroad (it bypassed Monroe County, routing through Greenbrier County instead) signaled the beginning of the Old Salt's decline.
The resort closed to travelers for good during the Great Depression.
Today, some of this historic West Virginia resort town still remains, perched right along Seneca Trail south of Union: the main hotel, the bathhouse, the spring house, the church, the store, and two of the cottages.
But no longer is this complex open as a public accommodation; rather, it has been transformed into a private residence.
Have you ever driven through Salt Sulphur Springs, West Virginia? Did you know the story of the Old Salt Resort? While you’re in the area, also check out the Indian Creek Covered Bridge that’s perched just a little farther down Route 219 from Salt Sulphur Springs.
Address: Salt Sulphur Springs, WV 24983, USA
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