SALT SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Members of the real estate brokerage engaged in selling a historic resort in scenic Monroe County have waded into the remarkable history of its mineral springs and discovered more than they expected.
According to agents at Foxfire Realty, which is marketing the property for $1,795,000, one of the three "healing" springs that attracted tourists to Salt Sulphur Springs in the early 1800s may have been unique in the U.S.
"After months of research, we realized how remarkable the springs were—at least from the point of view of those who believed in their curative powers," says agent David Sibray, who's working with fellow agent Randy Burdette and broker Richard Grist on the sale.
"We discovered that its 'iodine spring' was promoted to guests as the only one of its kind— possessed of curious properties, though we're determining what those properties were."
A brochure that Sibray and Burdette found at the resort states that it was the home of "the only iodine springs in the United States," though the team will need to find out more about this as they seek a new steward for the property.
Such springs attracted affluent visitors who believed they possessed medicinal powers. Those at The Greenbrier, at White Sulphur Springs, may be the best known today, but in the late 1700s and early 1800s, a host of resorts attracted guests who visited them in a circuit through summer.
While medical science has long outpaced the reliance on mineral waters for rejuvenation, many adherents are willing to consider the benefits of such spas, which thrive worldwide.
Citing an 1847 report by John J. Mooreman, M.D., of White Sulphur Springs, Sibray said that the Salt Sulphur Springs was exceptional, "having always heretofore enjoyed a reputation for the virtue of its waters and the excellence of its accommodations."
Mooreman provided one of the most detailed extant descriptions of the iodine spring, visitors to which might have either imbibed or bathed in its waters:
"The Iodine, or New Spring, was accidentally discovered by the proprietors in 1838 while opening a drain for the waters of the 'Salt,' and was immediately deepened and enclosed in a marble reservoir and enclosed in an appropriate building. The preserve of a larger quantity of iodine in this spring points it out as a superior agent in many affections for which iodine is successfully employed, particularly in scrofula, goitere, and some diseases of the skin."
While Sibray explored the springs, Burdette concentrated on the history of the resort's stone buildings. Collectively, they are part of the Salt Sulphur Springs National Historic District, the most extensive collection of pre-Civil War stone structures in West Virginia.
Burdette says the buildings comprise an idyllic village, including a store, chapel, spring houses, a chief resort building, and several large guest cottages.
"Anyone who has driven scenic US-219 through this little village can attest to the weight of its history," he said. "The moment you round the corner into town, the feeling of stepping back in time is all-encompassing."
In its heyday, the property welcomed many well-to-do guests, including presidents Monroe, Madison, Van Buren, and statesman Henry Clay. During the war, it served as the Union's headquarters. Afterward, it never regained prominence, though it continued attracting guests into the 1930s.
Burdette said that because they are included on the National Register, the historic structures are eligible for state and federal restoration and maintenance programming, including grants and tax credits.
The marketing team has already been fielding interest in the property, which is viable as a tourist attraction as well as a residence. The two guest cottages are also residences, and a modern barn and fenced fields now support horses.
After more than 100 years as a resort, the "Old Salt" was purchased by Dr. Ward Wiley, a physician from Mullens, who made it his home. Wiley willed the property to his daughter, Betty Farmer, who recently passed, after which it was listed with Foxfire.
For further information, visit the Foxfire Realty listing: The Salt Sulphur Springs Resort.
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