The Spring House and White Springs

This morning we drove around the town of White Springs to look at some of the historic homes there. We stopped first at the Spring House just outside the entrance to the Stephen Foster State Park on the bank of the Suwannee River.

From April 2010

The sulphur springs at White Springs was regarded as a sacred healing ground by the Indians that lived in this area. In 1835 Bryant and Elizabeth Sheffield bought the land that included the springs and what is now most of the town of White Springs. They build a plantation here and eventually a hotel beside the springs. A log spring house surrounded the spring until 1903 when a concrete and coquina wall was built. The spring house was four-tiered and had treatment rooms, an elevator and a concession area.


By the late 1800's 14 luxury hotels and many boarding houses had been built to accommodate the visitors who came by train to White Sulphur Springs.


Now all that remains of the spring house is the concrete and coquina wall. You can see the holes in the sides of the wall that mark where the original tiers would have been.

From April 2010

Before we left the spring house, we walked down to view the Suwannee River.

From April 2010

We then drove around White Springs to look at some of the historic homes here and the Telford Hotel. The Telford is the only hotel left of the original 14 luxury hotels - the others were destroyed in the 1911 fire.

From April 2010

From April 2010