Warm Springs & West Warm Springs Walking-Driving Tour

Warm Springs & West Warm Springs Walking-Driving Tour

This tour highlights historic buildings located in the Warm Springs and West Warm Springs Historic District, which is listed in the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.

Bath County was formed in 1790 from sections of Augusta, Botetourt, and Greenbrier (now West Virginia) counties. Since that time, Warm Springs has served as the Bath County seat.

The Warm Springs and West Warm Springs Historic District contains buildings and structures that represent over 200 years of development. The character of the village evolved from an 18th-century frontier settlement and courthouse village to a renowned antebellum springs resort. The establishment of the West Warm Springs community is an important reminder of the strength and persistence of African-American citizens in the years following the Civil War. The historical elements in the district offer visitors an authentic experience of Warm Springs’ storied past.

Please note that many historic properties on the tour are PRIVATE. We ask that you enjoy the view from the public right-of-way. Buildings open to the public are noted. Tour stops marked with this symbol  are individually listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places (VLR/ NRHP). Use caution when visiting stops. Our village streets are quiet, but active. Parking is available at the Bath County Courthouse and along the village streets per signage.

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T-1. Dan Ingalls Overlook: Moderate. Trail to north (blue blaze), 1.4-mile hike with views to east; historical signage, seating at overlook parking area.

T-2. Flag Rock Trail: Strenuous.

Accessed from Homestead Dairy property; parking at trailhead; trail signage; hike to prominent rock outcropping with views to west.

Tour Stops 1. Bath County Tourism Gazebo, intersection of Mountain Valley Road (Virginia Route 39) and Sam Snead Highway (U.S. Route 220) Open to the public. Collect pamphlets concerning area attractions at this information kiosk operated by the Bath County Office of Tourism. From here, enjoy an overall view of the Warm Springs Bath House complex.

2. Inn at Warm Springs, 12968 Sam Snead Highway (1842) Open to the public. This two-story brick building was constructed in the early 1840s as the second Bath County Courthouse. The building behind it was the jail and jailer’s house. The area became known as “Bath Court House.” After serving this function for 60 years, the property became an inn following the 1906 relocation of the courthouse to its present location in the village of Warm Springs.

3. Warm Springs Pools, Bath Street (Gentlemen’s Bath House ca. 1825, Ladies’ Bath House ca. 1875  Closed while the Omni Homestead Resort completes a historic rehabilitation of the property in 2022, the pools are expected to reopen in early 2023. The thermal mineral waters of Warm Springs Run flow through these historic bath houses. Native Americans visited the pools throughout prehistoric and colonial times. In the 1760s, European settlers to the area constructed an octagonal-shaped stone basin to hold water for bathing. The basin was not covered by a building, but fences and plants provided privacy. The “Great Bath,” as it was known, was used by men and women on an alternating schedule. The first bath house, constructed about 1825, enclosed the stone basin and reflected its octagonal shape. About 1875, a separate, round bath house was constructed for women, and the octagonal building became known as the Gentlemen’s Bath House. African-American bath

keepers maintained the pools for a century, assisting bathers and maintaining the buildings. Small rental cottages (some recently restored along Church Street) lined the road above the bath houses. The Warm Springs Hotel (demolished in 1925, see image on back cover) was built on the hillside northwest of the springs and became a notable stop on the 19th century “Springs Circuit,” which was a summertime social tour of several springs resorts in Virginia (which included present-day West Virginia). Visitors to the springs came to “take the waters” and many attested to the medicinal benefits they experienced by bathing in the water or by drinking it.

4. Warm Springs Churches, Church Road Two churches built near the bath house property in the mid-19th century were used by local residents as well as seasonal visitors to the pools. The former Warm Springs Episcopal Church (also called Christ Church), now a private residence, was built in 1851. The bell cupola atop the church was moved here from the 1840s Bath County Courthouse. The Warm Springs Presbyterian Church was built in 1854. Both buildings are examples of the Greek Revival style of architecture.

Tour continues south on U.S. Route 220 (Sam Snead Highway) 5. Warm Spring Cemetery, east side U.S. Route 220 (ca.

1800) Open to the public. Please be respectful. This cemetery began as a small 1 ½-acre graveyard. In 1911, the Virginia Hot Springs Company, which owned The Homestead at the time, leased additional land to the trustees. The cemetery currently encompasses approximately 15 acres and includes over 1,700 burials. Civil War soldiers who died at the Warm Springs Hotel, which was used as a wartime hospital, are interred here and one section is identified as the final resting place of enslaved residents. The stone wall and piers that mark the entrance were added in the 1950s by the Warm Springs Valley Garden Club.

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T-1. Dan Ingalls Overlook: Moderate. Trail to north (blue blaze), 1.4-mile hike with views to east; historical signage, seating at overlook parking area.

T-2. Flag Rock Trail: Strenuous.

Accessed from Homestead Dairy property; parking at trailhead; trail signage; hike to prominent rock outcropping with views to west.

6. Old Dairy Complex, 42 Old Dairy Road (1928)  The Milk House Market is open to the public.

Formerly known as the Homestead Dairy, this collection of handsome farm buildings was built by the Virginia Hot Springs Company to provide a steady supply of milk for guests at The Homestead. The buildings reflect Craftsman-style architectural details and feature tile-clad double silos. Dairy operations ended in 1970 and the complex is now part of the Homestead Preserve residential development.

7. Three Hills, 383 Three Hills Lane (1912)  This Italianate mansion was designed by the Richmond architectural firm of Carneal and Johnston. It was the home of the nationally popular novelist Mary Johnston, who lived here until her death in 1936.

8. Shields House, 12509 Sam Snead Highway (ca. 1830) This log and frame house, enlarged over the years, was the home of William Shields who was a tanner in Warm Springs. His tannery building, which produced leather for saddles, shoes, and other goods, is located across the creek along Germantown Road.

9. Commercial Building, 12178 Sam Snead Highway (1947) This building formerly housed Dunham’s Motor Lodge, which provided guest accommodations until 1970.

10. Bath County School Administration Building, corner of U.S. Route 220 and Courthouse Hill Road (1914) In 1913, Tate Sterret, owner of nearby Oakley Farm, sold 1 acre of his farm to the county for the Warm Springs School, which offered elementary and high school classes for white students. High school students attended the Warm Springs School until the first Valley High School was completed in 1954. Elementary classes continued at the Warm Springs School until 1969. This building now houses administrative staff.

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At the time the Warm Springs School was built, the educational system was segregated by race. County schools were not provided for African-American students, although some were able to attend privately operated schools (see Stop #30). In the 1920s, the first public schools for African-American students were built in Bath County. Known as the Union Hurst School and the T.C. Walker School, these “Rosenwald Schools” were funded in part by the philanthropic fund established by Julius Rosenwald. African-American high school students attended the Watson School in Covington until 1970 when the new, integrated Bath County High School opened.

11. Oakley Farm, 11865 Sam Snead Highway (1834)  Individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places, this 60acre farm features an 1830s brick house with Federal-Greek Revival details and later 1920s Colonial Revival alterations. The farm includes original farm outbuildings, a log house, and numerous early 20th century outbuildings. The house originally was built for Charles L. Francisco, who was County Clerk of Court, and in the 1920s was owned by Tate Sterrett, who worked for the Hot Springs Company managing the livery at The Homestead. Land for the present Bath County Courthouse and much of the south end of the village of Warm Springs, was carved out of Oakley Farm.

Oakley is home to Troddenvale Cidery and the Fireside poultry operation.

Tour continues west on Courthouse Hill Road, which leads into the heart of Warm Springs village.

12. Bath County Historical Society, 99 Courthouse Hill Road (1877) Open to the public, seasonal hours. This small frame building formerly housed the Stephenson Law Office and stood behind the 1840s courthouse (see Stop #3). With the relocation of the courthouse in 1906, John W. Stephenson moved his law office to be near the court.

The building presently houses the local historical society, research center, and museum.

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13. Bath County Public Library, 96 Courthouse Hill Road (1913) Open to the public. This building originally was the Bank of Warm Springs. The historical society has copies of the original design drawings by architect T.J. Collins & Sons. The Great Depression caused the bank to close in 1930. The building later housed offices of the local newspaper, The Enterprise, and a residence. In 1980, the building became the local library and an addition was constructed to the back.

14. Pettus House, 90 Courthouse Hill Road (ca. 1880) This one-anda-half-story log dwelling, visible from the library parking lot, was moved to this site from West Warm Springs where it stood near the John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church.

15. Bath County War Memorial, in front of Bath County Sherriff’s Office (2017) This memorial includes a marker dedicated to county residents who died in service during American wars of the 20th century.

16. Bath County Courthouse and Jail, 65 Courthouse Hill Road (1914, 1916) Open to the public. In 1908, a courthouse and jail were constructed at this site in the village then known as “Germantown.” In 1912, the courthouse burned, and in 1915, the jail burned. The present buildings were erected at the same sites following designs by T.J. Collins & Sons.

17. Confederate Soldiers Monument, located west on the Courthouse lawn (1922) Erected by Bath County Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in honor of Confederate soldiers from Bath County. The monument is similar to others erected during the early 20th century in Virginia and elsewhere in the South.

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Private Residence, 28 Katydid Trail (ca. 1930) This is an example of an American Foursquarestyle house. Notable features include the hipped roof, front dormer, wooden shingle siding, and its full-width front porch.

19. Warm Springs Gallery, 12 Katydid Trail (1923) Gallery and cafe open to the public, seasonal hours. During the early 1900s, Charles Webb operated his general store here. The building has also housed a feed store, restaurant, antique shop, and currently houses an artists’ gallery and a café on the upper floor.

Old Mill Road follows the historic route of the Jackson River Turnpike.

20. Old Warm Springs Post Office, in front of 43 Old Mill Road (1926) This was the Warm Springs post office until the late 1950s.

21. The Manse at Warm Springs, 82 Old Mill Road (ca.1890) This residence once served as the home for the minister of the nearby Warm Springs Presbyterian Church.

22. Warm Springs Post Office, 97 Old Mill Road (1958) Open to the public.

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11 Gristmill Square, 124 Old 23.

Mill Road (1901)  Inn at Gristmill Square and The Waterwheel Restaurant, open to public. Formerly known as Miller’s Mill and the Warm Springs Mill, this complex included a blacksmith shop and hardware store during the early 20th century. A mill has stood on this site since the late 1700s. As the only standing mill in the county, it is an important reminder of the once thriving agricultural life of Warm Springs in the early 20th century.

Milling activities ended in 1971.

24. Germantown Road Some of Warm Springs’ oldest and most historic buildings, dating from the late 18th and early 19th centuries, line this road and were used as an inn, a store, a school, and a tannery, as well as residences.

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25. Warm Spirit Spa, 92 Old Germantown Road (ca.ay 1950) hw building Spa open to public. Fee. This originally held the administrative offices of Bath County. The offices moved to the expanded courthouse in the 1980s, and the building became a residence, then a commercial building.

26. Private Residence, 59 Old Germantown 11 Road (ca. 1860) This is an example of a log house from the mid- to late-19th century.

27. Masonic Lodge, 26 Old Germantown Road (ca. 1910) This building housed the Valley Springs Lodge No.265, AF&AM Masonic Lodge. In 1912 when the courthouse burned, court proceedings were temporarily moved here.

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Turn around and travel east to the other end of Germantown Road.

28. The Anderson Cottage Bed & Breakfast, 208 Old Germantown Road (ca. 1790) Open to the public.

This residence, formerly known as “Locustlyn” for the locust trees that once surrounded the house site, began as two, twostory log sections, believed to have been built during the late-18th century by local physician Dr. A.G. McChesney. A second story was added and a frame section connected the wings together. The distinctive double-height front porch originally had a second floor. This building has been a tavern, a private residence, a girls’ school, an inn, and at present is operated as a historic bed and breakfast.

29. The Chimneys, 278 Old Germantown Road (ca. 1837) This residence, built for Robert Johnson, is named for its six tall stucco-clad chimneys. The building began as two different building sections—a onestory, stucco-clad brick section at the front and a two-story, brick kitchen wing at the back. These were joined by a porch that was later enclosed. The house was owned by the Stephenson family from the 1870s until about 1930.

30. The Tannery, 340 Old Germantown Road (ca.1830) William Shields operated his tannery here for almost 30 years. Shields lived in a house located across Warm Springs Run (see Stop #8) and visible from this location. The flat back yard was ideal for drying the hides that were later used to make leather saddles, shoes, and gloves.

Tour continues west on Virginia Route 39 (Mountain Valley Road) towards West Warm Springs.

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31. Private Residence, 1490 West Warm Springs Drive (ca. 1920) During the early 20th century, the Hudson House operated as a community store in West Warm Springs. Local residents recall buying ice cream and candy at the store, located in the basement level.

Owner Richard Hudson was the head waiter at The Homestead Dining Room for many years.

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John Wesley United Methodist Church, 212 West Warm Springs Drive (1873)  Open to the public. This church, built in 1873, is a direct link to the first decades of the West Warm Springs community and was the first African-American church in Bath County. The original hand-hewn log building was enlarged with a bell tower and choir loft. The church was a recreational and religious hub and part of broader community development patterns. Its survival to the present demonstrates the building’s continued local importance and as the home of the Bath County Senior Center, it remains a center for community life.

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33. Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, 89 Mount Pisgah Road (ca. 1880) Open to the public. This church also serves the community of West Warm Springs. Longtime residents state that the Methodist and Baptist churches historically were open on different Sundays of the month and that parishioners attended the church that was open, regardless of denomination. In the early 20th century, James William Jones, an African-American blacksmith who lived in the community, donated land near the church for a school for AfricanAmerican students. Also known as the “Gap School,” for its location near the mountain gap, the school closed in the 1930s and students attended the Union Hurst Elementary School (a Rosenwald School) located about 10 miles south of West Warm Springs (no longer standing).

34. Springhouse Antiques, 15857 Mountain Valley Road (ca. 1900) Open to public Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 10am - 5pm. J.R. Webb built this general store one mile west of Warm Springs. Customers included the area’s resort hotels along with residents of both Warm Springs and Bacova. Webb built trusted business relationships with the African-American residents of West Warm Springs and ran the store until his death in 1937. His son, Harry, continued operations until 1970. It is a reminder that the country store was often the center of community life. New owners renovated the building and sell antiques, primitives, artisans crafts, and their own handcrafted furniture.

35. Webb’s General Store, 15828 Mountain Valley Road (ca.1965) Open to the public. In 1965, Harry Webb and Malcolm Hirsch went into partnership and built this store.

Walking - Driving Tour Concludes

Continue touring in Bacova, an early20th century company town. Turn left from Mountain Valley Road onto Jackson River Turnpike (Route 687). or Enjoy the U.S. Forest Service’s Hidden Valley Recreation Area.

Turn right onto McGuffin Road (Route 621), then turn left onto Hidden Valley Road. or Return to Warm Springs via Mountain Valley Road, turning right (south) onto Old Germantown Road.

Bath Houses and Warm Springs Hotel, Circa 1925 This brochure has been made possible through the Bath County Office of Tourism, the Bath County Historical Society, and Preservation Bath. Additional information can be obtained at www.discoverbath.com.

Images courtesy of: Chromatic Expressions Photography, Debra McClane, Laura Purvis, and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources