White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia (WV), a community in Greenbrier County, was incorporated in 1909, though it had long been named by settlers for the clarity of its largest spring, the White Sulphur Spring, now enclosed in a classical spring house on the grounds of The Greenbrier. The community is located on Howard Creek, a tributary of the Greenbrier River, at the junction of Dry Creek.
Lodging near White Sulphur Springs
White Sulphur Springs (WV) Hotels
History
White Sulphur Springs has been a renowned destination since the late 18th century, when settlers discovered its mineral-rich sulphur waters and believed them to have healing properties. By the early 1800s, the town became a popular resort area for wealthy Southerners, culminating in the establishment of The Greenbrier, a luxury resort that drew U.S. presidents, diplomats, and celebrities.
During the Civil War, the resort was used by both Union and Confederate troops at different times, but it later rebounded as a premier social and health retreat in the Gilded Age. In the mid-20th century, The Greenbrier gained additional fame when a secret Cold War-era congressional bunker was built beneath it, later declassified in the 1990s.
Today, White Sulphur Springs maintains its reputation as a historic spa town and gateway to the Allegheny Mountains, blending its resort heritage with the culture of the Appalachian Mountains.
Parks & Public Recreation
Greenbrier State Forest is located approximately six miles southwest of the community, and the Monongahela National Forest and George Washington & Jefferson National Forests approach it on the north and east, respectively.
White Sulphur Springs: An Overview
Tucked into the very southern reaches of the Allegheny Mountains, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, blends small-town resilience and outsized historical significance. Best known as the home of The Greenbrier—one of America’s most storied resorts—the town grew around mineral springs that drew travelers seeking health and rest long before West Virginia became a state.
For more than 250 years, White Sulphur Springs has hosted presidents, witnessed Civil War clashes, treated wounded soldiers, harbored a Cold War secret, and rebuilt after devastating floods—all while preserving the mystique of its sulphur waters.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Where the waters shaped a town
Settlement in the area dates to around 1750, but White Sulphur Springs emerged as a destination in the 1770s after a visitor’s highly publicized relief from rheumatism inspired others to “take the waters.” The town sits at roughly 1,880 feet in elevation, and the spring—rich with sulphur—became its defining landmark and magnet.
Over time, cottages, boarding houses, and gathering halls formed an early resort landscape around the springs, anchoring both the town’s identity and economy.
The Greenbrier: An American Original
In 1778, guests began arriving in numbers, cementing the site as a health retreat. What is now The Greenbrier evolved from those early “taking the waters” traditions into a full-fledged resort whose symbol is the white-columned springhouse crowned by a green dome. The springhouse still shelters the sulphur source at the heart of the property.
The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway accelerated the resort’s rise: by 1870, rail links made travel far easier, and in 1910, the railroad purchased the property, commissioning a central hotel building that opened in 1913. The grand hotel you see today grew from that early 20th-century expansion, layered over the 19th-century springs culture.
From the start, The Greenbrier attracted leading families and political figures. Across the centuries, it has welcomed 28 U.S. presidents, helping to enshrine White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, in national lore as a seasonal meeting ground for power brokers and socialites. The resort’s allure has always blended outdoor pursuits and high design with the enduring promise of the mineral waters.
War Comes to the Springs
The Civil War arrived in August 1863, when Union General William W. Averell clashed with Confederate forces under Colonel George S. Patton (grandfather of World War II’s General George S. Patton) at the Battle of White Sulphur Springs.
The two-day fight ended with Averell’s withdrawal and left a deep imprint on the town’s narrative—another example of how national history has repeatedly intersected with this mountain community.
West Virginia Encyclopedia
During World War II, The Greenbrier’s role shifted dramatically. First, the U.S. State Department used the property to intern stranded Japanese, German, and Italian diplomats and their families, who were later exchanged for American diplomats abroad.
Soon after, the U.S. Army converted the hotel into Ashford General Hospital, a 2,000-bed facility whose lush grounds provided a rich environment for rehabilitation. When the war ended, the resort returned to civilian life and underwent a celebrated, colorful redecoration that helped define its mid-century look and feel.
A Cold War secret beneath The Greenbrier
Few small towns can claim a secret as consequential as White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. In 1958, under a veil of silence, the federal government partnered with The Greenbrier to construct a massive underground bunker designed to house the entire U.S. Congress in the event of nuclear attack.
Code-named Project Greek Island, the facility—hidden behind the resort’s new West Virginia Wing—remained ready for decades, stocked and staffed but unknown to the public until a 1992 exposé. Today, visitors can tour the decommissioned bunker and contemplate the practical realities of Cold War continuity of government.
The Springs Experience
While styles, owners, and eras have changed, the waters never left center stage. Nineteenth-century visitors arrived by carriage to bathe and sip, embracing a regimen believed to soothe ailments from rheumatism to digestive troubles.
Modern guests still find hydrotherapy offerings that nod to that legacy, and the springhouse remains a must-see symbol—its classic colonnade and green dome a visual shorthand for the entire destination. In this way, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, continues the original wellness story that launched the town.
Railroads, Design, and Revival
The railroads didn’t just deliver guests. It reshaped the resort. The arrival of the C&O in 1870 and its later purchase of the property integrated White Sulphur Springs more tightly with eastern cities, fueling a robust summer season.
After WWII, a famed design overhaul further refreshed the resort’s identity, pairing bold patterns and color with Southern mountain grandeur. That combination—ease of access, theatrical interiors, and outdoor amenities—helped The Greenbrier remain a household name and kept the town in the national conversation. Among its better-known associates, Chef Boiardi worked there for several years.
Visiting White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Today
For travelers, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, offers a rare blend of small-town warmth and grand-hotel tradition. Stroll Main Street to feel the cadence of local life, then visit the springhouse to connect with the source that built the town.
Outdoor enthusiasts find four-season recreation in the surrounding mountains. Whether you come for wellness, architecture, or pure curiosity about a place where so much American history converges, you’ll meet a community proud of its past and determined about its future.
The enduring appeal of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, is its continuity. The same waters that drew 18th-century visitors still bubble beneath a green-domed springhouse.
The same valley that once echoed with Civil War skirmishes later sheltered recovering soldiers and, secretly, a branch of government. In a nation of transient places, White Sulphur Springs stands out—a town whose identity, like its healing waters, runs deep.
Location
White Sulphur Springs is located on highways US-60 and WV-92 on the I-64 expressway, approximately 10 miles east of Lewisburg, West Virginia, and 20 miles west of Covington, Virginia.
Map of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Regional Information
White Sulphur Springs is located in the Greenbrier Valley Region in southeastern West Virginia.
