THE SALT SULPHUR SPRINGS RESORT
Union, Monroe County, West Virginia
The history of The Salt Sulphur Springs Resort may most firmly be established in 1802, when a spring on Indian Creek was noted to possess medicinal qualities. In 1805, a second spring was discovered. These became the resort’s Sweet Sulphur Spring and Salt Sulphur Spring. As a result of the demand for “medicinal” spring waters among wealthy Southerners, the springs soon attracted visitors.
In 1816, Ervin Benson, who had purchased 500 acres at the site in 1797, hired John Fullen, Sr., of Lexington, Va., to build the first stone building, the present-day Old Stone Hotel. The bathhouse, springhouse, and store building were soon added to meet the demand of an increasing clientele. Benson died before their construction in 1820, when his heirs, brothers-in-law William Erskine and Isaac Caruthers, assumed control of the springs.
In 1823, Erskine and Caruthers promoted the resort with an article in a Richmond, Va., newspaper: “Thanking them for their already liberal patronage, they are happy to inform them that they have erected twenty-four new cabins, large and commodious, together with a special dining and ball room, which will add greatly to the comfort and convenience of their company.”
In 1833, a guest from Massachusetts described the resort as similar and yet more peaceful than the nearby White Sulphur Spring, the present site of The Greenbrier: “The house is admirably kept here, and the food is plentiful fare, and the quiet and comfort are a striking contrast to the White Sulphur.”
In 1838, construction commenced on what would become the largest building on the property, the Erskine House. It contained 72 guest rooms and quarters for the many slaves who accompanied patrons.
By the outbreak of the Civil War, the springs had become one of the chief resorts on a circuit that included nearby Red Sulphur Springs, Blue Sulphur Springs, White Sulphur Springs, and Old Sweet Springs. Wealthy patrons, most notably from lowland Virginia and the Carolinas, would travel from spring to spring throughout the summer to escape the oppressive heat.
In 1862, General Albert Jenkins commandeered the springs as headquarters for the Eighth Virginia Calvary of the Confederate States Army. Caruthers had died in 1853, and Erskine died in 1863, and little is known of its operation as a resort during that period.
In 1878, after several unsuccessful attempts to restore operations, John Connell of Richmond purchased the property and, by 1880, was able to accommodate 300 guests.
In 1882, Colonel J.W.M. Appleton, of Boston, Mass., was hired as resort manager and brought a spirit of what may be termed “Yankee initiative” to the operation. He established a telegraph and a stage line to a station on the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and activity recovered until 1916 when Appleton was gored by a bull near the Salt Sulphur Springs store.
Following Appleton’s death, operations at the springs became sporadic. The demand for spas had waned, and in 1936, its existence as a resort ended. In 1963, Dr. Ward Wylie, who had operated the Wyoming General Hospital in Mullens, purchased the property as a home. Wylie died in 1970, and from then until 2023, his daughter, Betty Jacqueline “Betty Jack” Farmer, lived on the property.
“THE SALT” HOTEL
Built between 1816 and 1820, this two-story edifice of native limestone is the most prominent building on the property. This grand structure is reminiscent of the era of Southern mansions and resorts of the antebellum. The Salt Resort Hotel has, in recent years, been used as a private residence for the Farmer Family. The downstairs today includes a large modern household kitchen that blends in with the parlor, which includes the original fireplace and mantle. A staircase is located on both ends of the hotel to access the upstairs bedrooms and the presidential suite. The grand ballroom fills the majority of the downstairs. The grand ballroom features a tall ceiling height, and the Musicians Gallery box is situated in the far right corner of the room. Access to the Musicians Gallery is from the southern staircase of the building. Also at the south end of the hotel are the grand entrance foyer and staircase. A half bath is located beneath the stairs. On the east end of the building, a smaller wing may predate the main hotel building. A two-story portico with seven columns may have been built during the late 19th or early 20th centuries.
The second floor includes the Salt Library on the left side of the hallway, a bathroom suite, and hotel rooms A and B. The right side of the hall includes the presidential suite and bath, as well as hotel rooms C and D.
The hotel’s basement level has not been utilized or repaired for many years. The original registration counter has been relocated to the basement.
The Salt Sulphur Springs Hotel is awaiting the new loving owner to restore this trophy property to its full splendor of the bygone days of the 1800s. Although much work stands to be done, the Salt can be a functioning residence and special event business for the owner and innkeeper while repairs and upgrades are completed in modules.
Because the property is listed in the National Registry of Historic Places, tax credits and grants for restoration are likely to be available.
Randy Burdette
, Foxfire Realty
