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Craig Healing Springs [Craig County, Virginia] Letters

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-1990-078

Scope and Content

This collection contains correspondence of Craig Healing Springs, a health resort located in Craig County, Virginia. The collection contains typescript carbon copies of letters dictated between May 3 and July 17, 1924, most by the resort's manager (G. B. Braswell) in response to inquiries. In most cases, the incoming letter is glued to the back of the outgoing response. The collection is comprised of 75 letters, nearly all consisting of routine inquiries regarding accommodation rates, descriptions of the property, transportation to the resort, curative properties of the waters, requests for promotional booklets, and prices on bottled water from the springs. Among the more noteworthy pieces of correspondence: an inquiry written on a postcard picturing Earnest Williams Viaduct of Lynchburg, Virginia; exchanges of letters with the Hotel Ponce de Leon of Roanoke, Virginia, and Buffalo Lithia Springs, Virginia; an inquiry from Mattie L. Stieff of Dunbar, Virginia, regarding the accommodation of African American resort guests and employment of African American resort staff; a request for reduced rates from Mrs. J. E. Townes of Salem, Virginia; and plans for a Virginia Press Association dinner at the resort.

Dates

  • 1924

Creator

Language of Materials

The materials in the collection are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Administrative History

Located approximately 10 miles west of New Castle (Craig County), Virginia, Craig Healing Springs joined a number of other area health resorts that gained renown in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for the professed healing properties of their mineral waters. The presence of "yellow spring waters" in the property was documented as early as 1796, but the remoteness of the springs hindered commercial development for nearly a century. Around 1885, a hotel was built on the property (though newspapers of the day indicate that the springs offered accommodations to visitors at least a year prior to the hotel's construction). Soon afterward, Martin Hoffman purchased the property from 11 fellow investors and christened the property "All Healing Springs." The springs benefited from the extension of rail travel to nearby New Castle; large-scale development and incoporation of the resort by the Craig Healing Springs Company occurred in 1909. The resort remained a popular destination through the early decades of the 20th century, but as with many other such resorts, the Craig's business declined in the years following World War II. In 1960, the property was purchased as a retreat and conference center by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Virginia.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)

Abstract

Correspondence with potential guests and customers of Craig Healing Springs, a resort hotel in Craig County, Virginia, relate to reservations, pricing, accommodations, and the restorative powers of the spring water. 

Source of Acquisition

The Craig Healing Springs Letters were donated to Special Collections and University Archives in 1990.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Craig Healing Springs [Craig County, Virginia] Letters by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).

Processing Information

The processing and description of the Craig Healing Springs Letters commenced and was completed in September, 2022.

Title
Craig Healing Springs [Craig County, Virginia] Letters, 1924
Status
Completed
Author
John M. Jackson, Archivist
Date
2022 (CC0 1.0)
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308