History of White Sulphur Springs

...recapturing the graceful southern charm of its distinguished past ... into a modern-day residential mountain retreat.

White Sulphur Springs is the redevelopment of a 145-acre site in Mount Airy, NC, that was once home to the legendary turn-of-the-century White Sulphur Springs Hotel.

Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the hotel attracted affluent travelers from all along the East Coast who retreated here to enjoy the lush landscapes, rejuvenating spring waters, and cool mountain breezes.

The new White Sulphur Springs development will recapture the graceful southern charm of its distinguished past as the site is transformed into a modern-day residential mountain retreat. Replete with community-focused recreational amenities and preserved open green space bordering the Ararat River, White Sulphur Springs is creating a community where neighbors are friends, the nights are quiet and the natural settings respected.

The White Sulphur Springs Hotel

Original White Sulphur Springs Hotel

In the late 1800s, Rufus Roberts built the first hotel, which burned in 1900. In 1905, the hotel was renovated. Guests came during the summer months for the cool air, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the scenery and the mineral spring water.

Fire destroyed the hotel again before WWI but the hotel was rebuilt. It boasted 165 rooms, horse stables, lawns and woods for walking, riding trails and a 2,000 square-foot latticed dancing pavilion with polished wood floors. Guests came from all over the East Coast, Europe and South America.

The Spring House

White Sulphur Spring water was touted as a cure for many ailments, said to possess restorative powers. In 1895, the spring was described as “a limpid pool of water clear as crystal and pure as the dew of the morning. Around the side is a sediment - showing the presence of the white sulphur, which is the principal ingredient, but iron, magnesia and other minerals are present in sufficient quantity to justify the reputation of the spring as a very fountain of health.”

The Pavilion

Gathering at the original hotel

An early 19th Century description of the Pavilion said, “At the foot of the lawn, overlooking the river, is the dancing pavilion with its two thousand square feet of polished floor, easily accommodating half a hundred dancing couples. Every night – and oftentimes during the day – assemble here the young people of the Springs and take their fill of delight in that oldest and most popular of amusements. A fine orchestra furnished the music and overhead a cluster of electric globes sheds its soft luster over the merry scene, while, in the interludes there rises the gentle murmur of the river tumbling over its baby falls just below the pavilion.”