Preservation of the Warm Springs Pools

I had the good fortune to be in Hot Springs recently and to have a conversation with some of Virginia's most resolute preservationists who are committed to the saving the oldest spa structures in the US from imminent decay.

I had emailed Phil Deemer, president of the Friends of the Pool and was pleased to meet a trio of quietly passionate individuals who have a plan to save these historic buildings. Joining the conversation were Lee Elliott, vice president and Janice McWilliams, treasurer.

Men's Bathhouse

Sadly, the Bath Houses are now listed among Preservation Virginia’s Most Endangered Historic Sites. This designation is intended in part “to encourage citizens and organizations to continue to advocate” for a site’s protection and preservation. The Bath Houses at the Warm Springs Pools have been nominated for selection as one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “11 Most Endangered Historic Places." The announcement of this year's list will occur in June. Yes, it's an alarming distinction, but these old wooden structures, exposed to constant moisture and no long receiving maintenance, are urgently in need of restoration.

Some background: According the their website, the Men’s Bath House was built in 1761 and the Women’s Bath House followed in 1836. The Pools, titled as “Warm Springs Bathhouses,” are listed on both the Virginia Landmarks Register (1968) and The National Register of Historic Places (1969). This is the Statement of Significance in the 1969 nomination:

The Warm Springs traditionally served as the starting point for the annual tours of the Virginia springs, a social custom observed by the aristocrats from all over the South escaping the intense summer heat of the lowlands to relax at the mountain pools and enjoy the company of their peers. While the springs first became known for their curative powers and continued to be visited by invalids searching for health, the real popularity of the springs was founded upon their serving as fashionable resorts.

The springs were apparently popular during the last third of the eighteenth century when the men’s bath house was built, and they flourished during the first half of the nineteenth century as the tide of settlement pushed the Indians further west.

Both of the bath houses are in an excellent state of repair and have undergone very little alteration. Still used for their original purpose and maintained by the Homestead Hotel, a world famous resort, the Warm Springs Bath Houses are “excellent examples of the simplicity in public accommodations” in early Virginia and testify to a bygone era of our social history.

The spectacular interior of the ladies bathhouse

Sadly, the structures are no longer in an excellent state of repair. In 1993 Club Corp purchased the Homestead, including the Warm Spring Pools, which they renamed The Jefferson Pools for marketing purposes. In 2006 KSL Resorts, a Colorado venture capital firm, bought The Homestead. KSL Resorts has changed the business model of The Homestead to that of a family resort, and the pools are no longer a priority. KSL is agreeable to allowing the Friends of the Pools take ownership and to establish a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to manage the restoration and ongoing operation of the pools. KSL is likely positioning to sell The Homestead, so the restoration and the ownership of this property is an agreeable concept, and even more urgent.

The application for the 501(c)(3) is moving slowly through the IRS. The Tax Exempt department's concern is that the Friends of the Pools reach an agreement with The Homestead and KSL Capital that complies with the proper operation of a tax exempt organization. This delicate process is in the capable hands of a committee of citizens of Bath County, each uniquely qualified as members of team of patient, focused stewards in the name of preservation.

Women's bathhouse undergoing assessment

Lee Elliott, committee treasurer, lives on a nearby farm with her husband Bill, who is a hydrologist. Janice McWilliams is the former owner of The Gristmill and knows Bath Country well. A Pennsylvania native, Phil Deemer, president, has a career in finance and understands the gentle art of negotiation. Jim Fetcher is the secretary and the website manager, as well as a lawyer. They have had the benefit of passionate and talented  advisory, including that of Sandra Hirth, their pro bono attorney of Kaufman & Canoles. As with any critical preservation project there are many angels to step forward to assist.

"The Pools are particularly interesting because they continue to operate as they have for more than 200 years," said Deemer.  "The restoration of the Bath Houses is, therefore, not to create a museum for visitors (e.g. Monticello and Mount Vernon).  And, it is not a project to take a historic building and adapt it for a new purpose (e.g., the work done by the Homestead Preserve to "rehabilitate" the Old Dairy complex in Warm Springs).  Instead, the restoration of the Bath Houses is intended to repair and maintain the structures for continued use, following established guidelines to ensure their historical design and construction materials."

 The Friends of the Pools are poised for action. There is no longer any maintenance of these delicate

Victorian cottage now being used for reception and gift shop

structures - no whitewashing, repairs or scrubbing down of mold. In a recent structural examination, a wood chisel went into a structural column "like it was angel food cake," said Deemer. These Virginians are confident that the Bath Houses can be repaired and restored according to the highest standards of historical authenticity.  With guidance and encouragement from Preservation Virginia, the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and many others, they have learned a lot about how to approach a restoration project.

Deemer suggests the book Keeping Time: The History and Theory of Preservation in America.  Written by Dr. William J Murtagh, this book explains the many activities that fall within the broad heading of "preservation" and provides a fascinating narrative about how these many efforts have evolved.  The Friends of the Pools are honored to have Dr. Murtagh as a member of the Board of Advisors and, by happy coincidence, in 1969 while serving as Keeper of the National Register, it was Dr. Murtagh who approved the placement of the "Warm Springs Bath Houses" on the National Register of Historic Places.  Keeping Time is their primer on preservation.

Friends of the Pools continues to be in active and productive conversations with The Homestead's Peter Faraone and members of the KSL management team. They know what is needed and are focused with quiet resolve to accomplish their mission.

Phil Deemer has asked for help in spreading the word. If you know people who treasure the Pools and the centuries of history these Bath Houses represent, urge them to visit the website and to “sign on” to be included in future updates.  You may even get a tasteful Pools decal for your car!