Berkeley Springs State Park

Berkeley Springs State Park
Berkeley Springs State Park
	Park buildings
	Location of Berkeley Springs State Park in West Virginia
Location	Morgan,West Virginia, United States
Coordinates	39°37′36″N78°13′40″W/ 39.62667°N 78.22778°W
Area	7 acres (2.8 ha)
Elevation	617 ft (188 m)
Established	July 1, 1970
Website	wvstateparks.com/park/berkeley-springs-state-park/
	Berkeley Springs State Park
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. Historic district
Location	S. Washington and Fairfax Sts.,Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Area	5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built	1785
Built by	James Rumsey
NRHP referenceNo.	76001943
Added to NRHP	May 24, 1976

Berkeley Springs State Parkis situated in the center ofBerkeley Springs,West Virginia,USA. The centerpiece of the Park is its historicmineral spa.These waters were celebrated for their medicinal or restorative powers and were generally taken internally fordigestive disorders,or bathed in for stress relief.Native peoplesvisited these springs as didGeorge Washington.Berkeley Springs is the only state-run spa in the United States and is operated by theWest Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

History

The Park is located on land which has been used as a health resort since the 1750s as the property ofLord Fairfax.On 18 March 1748, George Washington, then 16, visited the spa for the first time.^[4]An annual event is held to commemorate this historic visit, but the tub where Washington supposedly bathed was rebuilt in the 1930s. Colonial maps dating as early as 1740 credit medicinal properties to the springs' waters.^[5]

The land was officially granted toVirginiain 1776. The town of Bath was incorporated that same year^[4](it was called Warm Springs before its incorporation^[6]).

The historicRomanBathhouse, the oldest public building in Berkeley Springs, was built inFederal-style architecturein 1815 on the site of an earlier bathhouse attributed toJames Rumsey.^[7]The earlier bathhouse, built in 1784, is described as having had five bathing chambers and dressing rooms.

On 1 January 2019, the Old Roman Bathhouse building closed down for renovation (including handicap access, new bath tiles, bath benches, new boiler system) for a period of 6 months and a $1-million budget.^[7]

Mineral springs

Water flows from naturalmineral springsat a constant temperature of 74.3 degrees, emerging from theOriskany (Ridgeley)sandstoneofWarm Springs Ridge.Five major springs merge on the location of the spa. The water contains significant amounts ofsulfates,nitrates,andcarbonates—mostlymagnesium carbonates.Thedischargevaries from 750 to 2,000 US gallons (2,800 to 7,600 L) per minute.^[6]

The water is available forbathingat two park bathhouses and for drinking from afountainat the 19th century Gentlemen's Spring House — as well as from everytapin town since the springs serve as the source of the municipal water supply. The current bathhouse includes nine separate bathing chambers with tubs capable of holding a total 750 gallons of water heated to 102 degrees. These baths are open to the public daily throughout the year and water is also bottled and sold commercially.

The town is also the organizer of the annual Berkeley Springs’ International Water Tasting Competition.^[6]

Museum

TheMuseum of the Berkeley Springsis located on the second floor of the bathhouse. Established in 1984, it exhibits various historical items of natural and cultural significance to the springs and town. Admission is free, and the museum is open at least on weekends from March through December.

Ecology

The waters that leak directly from the spring are home to anintroducedpopulation ofguppiesthat date to around the early 1940s.^[8]Originally fromSouth America,they are able to survive throughout the year due to the constantly warm waters that outflow from the spring.

Several other species of fish make their way up fromWarm Spring Runinto the hot spring itself. These fish includeeastern blacknose dace,creek chub,central stoneroller,andbluntnoseandcutlips minnows.^[9]There are alsocrayfishin the spring, andwater snakesare seen occasionally as well.

Gallery

"Bathtub" used byGeorge Washington

References

^West Virginia State Parks Facilities Grid, accessed March 29, 2008 ArchivedMarch 26, 2009, at theWayback Machine
^Where People and Nature Meet: A History of the West Virginia State Parks.Charleston,West Virginia:Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. April 1988.ISBN 0-933126-91-3.
^"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.July 9, 2010.
^^a ^b"Berkeley Springs State Park".West Virginia State Parks.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.
^"They Made Me Drink the Water".Undark Magazine.May 26, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.
^^a ^b ^c"Bay Journal - Article: Soak in the charm of West Virginia's Berkeley Springs".www.bayjournal.com.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.^{[dead link]}
^^a ^bVincent, Jenni."Historic Berkeley Springs bathhouse getting nearly $1M in renovations".Herald-Mail Media.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.
^Bias, Alan (September 8, 2016)."Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Feral Guppies".Amazonas.RetrievedJune 26,2023.
^"WARM SPRINGS RUN WATERSHED ASSESSMENT"(PDF).Warm Springs Watershed Association.December 2010.

External links

[WVSPFacilities-1] West Virginia State Parks Facilities Grid, accessed March 29, 2008 ArchivedMarch 26, 2009, at theWayback Machine

[WPaNM-2] Where People and Nature Meet: A History of the West Virginia State Parks.Charleston,West Virginia:Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. April 1988.ISBN 0-933126-91-3.

[nris-3] "National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.July 9, 2010.

[:0-4] "Berkeley Springs State Park".West Virginia State Parks.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.

[:1-5] "They Made Me Drink the Water".Undark Magazine.May 26, 2017.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.

[:2-6] "Bay Journal - Article: Soak in the charm of West Virginia's Berkeley Springs".www.bayjournal.com.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.^{[dead link]}

[:3-7] Vincent, Jenni."Historic Berkeley Springs bathhouse getting nearly $1M in renovations".Herald-Mail Media.RetrievedJanuary 14,2020.

[8] Bias, Alan (September 8, 2016)."Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Feral Guppies".Amazonas.RetrievedJune 26,2023.

[9] "WARM SPRINGS RUN WATERSHED ASSESSMENT"(PDF).Warm Springs Watershed Association.December 2010.

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