The Greenbrier: The Epitome of the Old South

Joined
Nov 26, 2016
Location
central NC
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(The front entrance to the Greenbrier.)
@Southern Unionist and I had the pleasure of stepping back in time to celebrate Christmas this year with a visit to the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, WV. It's a magical place any time of year, but the holiday lights make it extra special. The Greenbrier is loaded with Civil War history.

Guests began coming to White Sulphur Springs to “take the waters” to restore their health in 1778, but it was during the Mid-19th​ century when the resort began to gain true prominence. During the 1830s Southern politicians, judges, editors, lawyers, diplomats, ministers, planters and merchants began to congregate annually at the "village in the wilderness" during the summer months. The 2,000-foot elevation offered respite from the heat farther south and the humidity down in the lowlands. Folks still flock to the resort each summer for the same reason and stay in the original cottages that remain standing today.

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(The original spring at White Sulfur Springs. People came here to drink and bathe in the water, which was thought to have healing power.)​

Before the Civil War, five sitting presidents visited and White Sulphur Springs' soon became known as America's most fashionable resort.

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(The Presidents' Cottage where visiting presidents resided during their visits. Now it's a museum.)

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(View from the second story porch.)​

This reputation led to the construction of the first large hotel (apart from the cottages) in 1858. The hotel was named the Grand Central Hotel but affectionately known as “The Old White.”

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(Painting of the old White Sulfur Springs resort hotel that was replaced by the current main building in 1913.)​

The resort closed to the public during the Civil War. Union troops and Confederate troops occupied the grounds at different times and both used “The Old White” as a hospital or military headquarters. For two years, the grand hotel accommodated up to 1,600 soldiers, and its dining room and parlor were filled with multiple rows of the wounded. According to the National Archives:

192 Confederate soldiers died during their time at “The Old White”, with many of them passing during late fall into winter. It was during this time, that Confederate General Robert E. Lee made a stop at White Sulphur Springs, as he came down the mountains and into western Virginia. Upon visiting the wounded, Lee first saw the horse he would eventually ride in battle and throughout his later years in life. This horse was born approximately 20 miles from White Sulphur Springs, and was originally named “Greenbrier” by his owner Major Thomas Broun. A year later, Lee met the Major in South Carolina and was given the horse as a gift. Lee kindly turned down the offer as a gift, and demanded Broun take $200 payment for the horse he then named “Traveller”.”

After the war ended, the resort was repaired and reopened to the public. General Lee and his family visited and stayed in "Baltimore G" - also known as “Lee Cottage” for three consecutive years. The Presidents’ Cottage Museum features a large wall mural showing General Lee and his family on the cottage porch. The cottage is still standing and available for rental. It boasts an historical placard. The Presidents' Cottage Museum is open for guests to tour at their leisure. I'll post some more pics from inside later.

General Robert E. Lee's single post-war political statement was made at the Greenbrier when he led a group of prominent Southern leaders vacationing at the resort in drafting and signing what became known as “The White Sulphur Manifesto'' of 1868. This document, widely reprinted in newspapers across the country, declared that, in the minds of these men, questions of secession from the Union and slavery "were decided by war,'' and that, upon the reestablishment of self-governance in the South, the Southern people would “faithfully obey the Constitution and laws of the United States, treat the Negro populations with kindness and humanity and fulfill every duty incumbent on peaceful citizens, loyal to the Constitution of their country.'' The war was truly over.

In 1869, one of the most famous photographs ever taken at White Sulphur Springs included Robert E. Lee and a group of former Confederate Generals, among them P.G.T. Beauregard of Louisiana. Union General William S. Rosecrans visited General Lee one summer at the Greenbrier.

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With the completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway in 1873, the resort became more popular than ever.

The current owner of the Greenbrier is Jim Justice, the governor of West Virginia. He recently had a chapel constructed on the property in hopes of generating more wedding business for the resort. We attended a lovely cantata there on Christmas Day.

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Great views are available from numerous porches scattered around the resort.

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(Above the North Entrance to the Greenbrier.)​
 
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My spending the one day there (not sleeping over) with my sister in June, made me realize there was something to this "taking of the waters." I'm hoping Indiana_Boy and I can do this sometime for a weekend.
 
The Greenbrier--specifically, the White Hotel--also served as a Confederate field hospital during and after the August 1863 Battle of White Sulphur Springs. As a result, there are about 16 Confederate dead--casualties of the battle--buried in a small, very difficult to locate cemetery on the grounds of the Greenbrier. Terry Lowry--the dean of all things Civil War West Virginia--and I spent an hour searching for that cemetery before we found it.
 
The Greenbrier also served as a Confederate field hospital during and after the August 1863 Battle of White Sulphur Springs. As a result, there are about 16 Confederate dead--casualties of the battle--buried in a small, very difficult to locate cemetery on the grounds of the Greenbrier. Terry Lowry--the dean of all things Civil War West Virginia--and I spent an hour searching for that cemetery before we found it.

Do you have any pics you can share? I know @lelliott19 would be interested in seeing them, as would I.
 
My favorite pics from last week's trip. The 1930's north wing entrance, not as often photographed as the 1913 main entrance, is my favorite with its white lighting and smaller but more perfect tree.

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This is the original grand ballroom:

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My wife will post more of the CW period murals, with complete descriptions, from the old Presidential suite.
 
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Come on inside the Presidents' Cottage Museum! The sign on the lower left lists all five Presidents who slept here, all before the Civil War. Many other Presidents have stayed at the Greenbrier, in more modern accommodations.

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The room to the right of the front door features murals from the Civil War period. General Lee is depicted as standing to the right of center, with his adoring fans standing at a respectful distance. Even after losing the war, he was still treated like a rock star all over the South. This prevented him from being able to stay in the main building without causing a disruption. General Lee disliked the attention and sought to avoid it as much as possible.
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Mrs. Lee, daughters Mildred and Agnes, and son William Henry Fitzhugh along with General Lee on the porch of the Baltimore "G" cottage.
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General Lee meeting General Rosecrans with the White Sulphur Manifesto in 1868.
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General Lee mounted on Traveller, observing the movement of his army.
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Yep! That's my favorite general, General Longstreet, standing in the background.
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Of course General Longstreet deserved his own close-up. That's General Early (white beard) in the background.
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General Lee talking to his officers at a campsite.
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Now hosts a PGA Tour event.

The Greenbrier got heavily involved in golf in the sport's earliest days of popularity in America. Sam Snead was their golf pro for decades. Today, the clubhouse restaurant is named for him, and it's one of the best ones on the property. The PGA left for a few years and came back.

Today, I'll show more ballrooms and the main dining area.

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Below, the formal entrance to the main ballroom shown above:
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The main dining rooms have been in the same place since 1913:
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Come on inside the Presidents' Cottage Museum! The sign on the lower left lists all five Presidents who slept here, all before the Civil War. Many other Presidents have stayed at the Greenbrier, in more modern accommodations.

The room to the right of the front door features murals from the Civil War period. General Lee is depicted as standing to the right of center, with his adoring fans standing at a respectful distance. Even after losing the war, he was still treated like a rock star all over the South. This prevented him from being able to stay in the main building without causing a disruption. General Lee disliked the attention and sought to avoid it as much as possible.
Mrs. Lee, daughters Mildred and Agnes, and son William Henry Fitzhugh along with General Lee on the porch of the Baltimore "G" cottage.
General Lee meeting General Rosecrans with the White Sulphur Manifesto in 1868.
General Lee mounted on Traveller, observing the movement of his army.
Yep! That's my favorite general, General Longstreet, standing in the background.
Of course General Longstreet deserved his own close-up. That's General Early (white beard) in the background.
General Lee talking to his officers at a campsite.
All of the photos from both of you are just fantastic. What a beautiful place!
I do have one thought about the Lee murals, wondering if there is any blowback about the subjects from the public in this day of cancel culture?
 
All of the photos from both of you are just fantastic. What a beautiful place!
I do have one thought about the Lee murals, wondering if there is any blowback about the subjects from the public in this day of cancel culture?

Thank you Robert! @Southern Unionist gets the credit for all of the pics. He just lets me post and narrate. :giggle: I can just imagine you and Mrs. P gracing the ballroom at the Greenbrier!

As to your question, the Greenbrier seems quite happy to embrace their Southern heritage - actually they flaunt it every chance they get. I am curious about what happened to the General Lee bust and the large portrait of him that was revealed at the Lee Monument Ball in 1938. There are no signs of either one. We talked at some length with the Greenbrier archivist and historian, Dr. Bob Conte. I should have asked. Checkout these links for some pics.


 
Thank you Robert! @Southern Unionist gets the credit for all of the pics. He just lets me post and narrate. :giggle: I can just imagine you and Mrs. P gracing the ballroom at the Greenbrier!

As to your question, the Greenbrier seems quite happy to embrace their Southern heritage - actually they flaunt it every chance they get. I am curious about what happened to the General Lee bust and the large portrait of him that was revealed at the Lee Monument Ball in 1938. There are no signs of either one. We talked at some length with the Greenbrier archivist and historian, Dr. Bob Conte. I should have asked. Checkout these links for some pics.


I don’t know about the ballroom but the bar looks really inviting to me! :D
 
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