The Greenbrier

The Greenbrier is a luxury resort located in the Allegheny Mountains near White Sulphur Springs in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. Since 1778, visitors have traveled to this part of the state to "take the waters" of the area. Today, the Greenbrier is situated on 11,000 acres (4,500 ha) of land with 710 guest rooms, 20 restaurants and lounges, more than 55 indoor and outdoor activities and sports, and more than 35 retail shops. Present-day Greenbrier was built in 1913 by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and was owned for much of its history by that company and its successors, Chessie System and CSX Corporation. After years of losses, CSX had the hotel file for bankruptcy protection in 2009. Justice Family Group, LLC, owned by coal baron Jim Justice, bought the property and guaranteed all debts, resulting in dismissal of the bankruptcy protection. Justice, later the governor of West Virginia, and U.S. Senator, promised to return the hotel to its former status as a five-star resort. Greenbrier Hotel Corp. is a subsidiary of Justice Family Group, LLC. The most recent U.S. president to stay at the Greenbrier during his term is Dwight D. Eisenhower. Many presidents (28) have stayed at the hotel. The Presidents' Cottage Museum houses exhibits about presidential visits and the history of the Greenbrier. The Greenbrier is the site of a massive underground bunker meant to serve as an emergency shelter for the United States Congress during the Cold War. The bunker was code named "Project Greek Island". History Early development A spring of sulphur water is at the center of the property, surrounded by the white-columned spring house, topped by the green dome that has been the symbol of the Greenbrier for generations. Beginning in 1778, Mrs. Anderson, a local pioneer, adopted the local Native American tradition of "taking the waters" to relieve her chronic rheumatism. Based on this resource, for the first 125 years, the resort was known by the name White Sulphur Springs. It was a destination for people during the summers who wanted to escape coastal heat and diseases. As the resort developed, cottages were built, many of which still stand. Notable guests included Martin Van Buren and Henry Clay. In 1858, the Grand Central Hotel was built. It came to be known as "The White" and, later, "The Old White". During the Civil War, as control of the property passed between the Confederate Army and the Union Army, it was almost burned to the ground. After the Civil War, the resort reopened under Confederate Major Cornelius Boyle and became a vacation place for Southerners and Northerners alike. The "White Sulphur Manifesto", the only political paper published by Confederate General Robert E. Lee after the Civil War, advocated the merging of the two sides. The resort became a center of regional post-war society after the arrival of the railroad, which provided direct service to the resort's gates by 1869. The Greenbrier In 1910, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad purchased the property and added the current bath wing, which opened in 1911. C&O's improvements also included a six-story, 250-room hotel, the central wing of the present hotel. Designed by Frederick Julius Sterner, it opened in 1913. At this time, what was for decades a summer establishment converted to year-round service, and the name was changed to the Greenbrier, for neighboring Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The town, incorporated in 1909, adopted the name White Sulphur Springs, which the resort used previously. The railroad introduced the game of golf, which became a defining feature of the resort. The first small course opened in 1910, and a full 18-hole course, designed by Charles B. Macdonald, in 1913. That course is today known as "The Old White TPC". The Old White Hotel structure was demolished in 1922 when it failed to meet fire codes. In 1931, completion of the north wing, crossing the original 1913 wing like a "T", nearly doubled the hotel's size. During World War II, the resort was called to serve as a relocation center for Axis diplomats held as enemies of the United States. The first detainees were German; later, they were joined by Japanese diplomats previously kept at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia. The hotel briefly reopened in 1942, until commandeered by the U.S. Army as a hospital. The Army converted it to the 2000-bed Ashford General Hospital, named for Bailey Ashford. 25,000 patients had been treated when the property was sold back to C&O in 1946. C&O hired internationally renowned interior designer Dorothy Draper to redecorate and restore the Greenbrier. Draper oversaw every element of the property's design, combining bold colors, classical influences, and modern touches. The reopening in April 1948 was an international social event. Notable attendees included the Duke of Windsor and his wife, Wallis Simpson (who honeymooned with her first husband at the Greenbrier in 1916), Bing Crosby, and members of the Kennedy family. The resort has also hosted foreign dignitaries, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, high-level discussions on the allocation of the Allies' resources during World War II, and post-war North American talks in 1955. The Bunker In the late 1950s, the U.S. government approached the Greenbrier for the creation of a secret emergency relocation center to house Congress in the event of a nuclear holocaust. The classified underground facility, "Project Greek Island", was built at the same time as the West Virginia Wing, an above-ground hotel addition, from 1959 to 1962. The bunker was kept stocked with supplies, but never used as an emergency location, and its existence was not acknowledged by the government. After Ted Gup of The Washington Post reported on it in 1992, the government immediately decommissioned the bunker. Following renovations, the space is now used as a data storage facility by CSX IP for the private sector and is open to the public. Justice family ownership In 2009, the resort filed for bankruptcy, listing debts of up to $500 million and assets of $100 million. It was hurt by competition from other resorts, and declining post-war traffic as patrons shifted to destinations they could reach by automobile. The resort lost $35 million in 2008 and laid off 650 employees, or half its workforce. After an initial announcement of a sale to Marriott, Justice Family Group, LLC purchased the resort for $20 million. Marriott asserted a valid contract, but settled with Justice. The resort closed briefly after the 2016 West Virginia flood, though flood victims were offered rooms. When Justice was elected governor in 2017, his daughter took over day-to-day control at Greenbrier. Greenbrier has been used as collateral for loans taken out by the Justice family, including to both Carter Bank & Trust as well as a $50 million loan from JPMorgan Chase, and tax liens have been placed on other Justice properties for non-payment of taxes, for which the Justices have been in court several times. In 2024, the hotel narrowly avoided foreclosure after JP Morgan Chase sold a loan it held to Beltway Capital, which declared Greenbrier in default. In 2026, a subsidiary of TRT Holdings, parent company of Omni Hotels & Resorts, acquired from Carter Bank & Trust $289 million in past‑due, first‑lien loans tied to the Greenbrier. The purchase did not transfer ownership of the resort. However, White Sulphur Springs Holdings LLC, the TRT subsidiary that acquired the debt, later filed in federal court seeking appointment of a receiver to take control of the property. The Justice family subsequently filed a separate lawsuit in state court alleging that TRT and Carter Bank acted improperly in their efforts to assume control of the resort. Litigation in both courts is ongoing. Facilities Athletics The Greenbrier's location in the eastern United States, along with its hotel accommodations and athletic facilities including golf, tennis, and basketball courts, has made it a frequent training site for professional sports teams. Basketball The Greenbrier has served as a venue for high school, NCAA, and NBA basketball as well as hosting training camps, tournaments, and games over the years. Since 2024, it has served as the primary venue for the Greenbrier Tip-Off, a preseason NCAA men's basketball tournament. The resort has also frequently hosted West Virginia University men's and women's basketball games. Gridiron football In 2011, Justice announced plans to construct the Greenbrier Medical Institute, a large-scale medical facility. Construction of the first stage began in May 2012. The project was meant to attract a National Football League team that would hold its annual training camp at the Greenbrier. In 2014, the hotel committed to build three football fields and other facilities for the New Orleans Saints; the agreement lasted three years. In 2017, The Spring League, which evolved into the USFL, held six of the seven games in its inaugural season at the Greenbrier. Golf The resort has a significant place in the history of golf. The original nine holes were designed by Alexander H. Findlay. In 1944, Sam Snead became the head golf professional at Greenbrier and in retirement held the position of pro emeritus. In the 21st century, that title has been held by Tom Watson and Lee Trevino. The Greenbrier was the site of the 1979 Ryder Cup, the first to be contested under the format of United States versus Europe, which continues, and hosted the 1994 Solheim Cup, the women's equivalent. The Greenbrier American Express Championship on the Senior PGA Tour (now the PGA Tour Champions) was held from 1985-1987. The Greenbrier Classic began in 2010. On March 28, 2011, The Old White Course became a TPC course. The 2016 event was canceled due to flooding. All four golf courses on the property were damaged by the flood. On July 12, 2016, one modified course opened for play. In 2020, the PGA Tour canceled its TPC affiliation with the Greenbrier, which hosted an LIV Golf event in 2023. Other The adjacent Greenbrier Clinic, independent of the hotel since 1971, has served as an executive health facility since 1948. The Greenbrier hosts outdoor and indoor swimming pools. The resort is home to a 2,500-seat tennis stadium, five Har-Tru outdoor courts and five Deco-Turf indoor courts. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all matches during the 2020 World TeamTennis season were held at the Greenbrier. The Casino Club at the Greenbrier In 2008, voters narrowly approved a referendum that would permit casino-style gambling at the hotel. The Justice family promised that gambling facilities at the resort would be "tasteful" if established. The temporary Tavern Casino opened in 2009, followed by the permanent Casino Club at the Greenbrier in 2010. Simulcast horse racing and associated betting were added in 2013. In popular culture Fallout 76, a video game, features a location known as "The Whitespring Resort" strongly resembling the exterior and interior of the Greenbrier, including the government bunker. Too Many Cooks, a 1938 murder mystery by Rex Stout, takes place at the Kanawha Spa, modeled after the Greenbrier. Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin attend a gathering of world-renowned chefs, one of whom is murdered. The Wolfe Pack has held several gourmet dinners at the Greenbrier in honor of the novel. Entombed, a 2010 novel by Brian Keene, takes place in a fictionalized West Virginia hotel with a bunker beneath, inspired by the Greenbrier. The Grand Design, a 2022 novel by Joy Callaway, is a fictionalized life story of Dorothy Draper during her redesign of the Greenbrier, published by HarperCollins. Shadow of the Greenbrier, a novel by Emily Matchar, tells the story of four generations of a Jewish family living near the Greenbrier during key moments in the resort's history. It was published by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 2024. Mary Stevens, M.D., was shot in The Greenbrier Gallery See also List of casinos in West Virginia List of casinos in the United States List of casino hotels Mount Weather Emergency Operations Center Raven Rock Mountain Complex Greenbrier Presidential Express, a train that was planned to run between Washington, D.C., and White Sulphur Springs References Sources The History of The Greenbrier: America's Resort by Robert Conte Bibliography Conte, Robert S. The History of the Greenbrier: America's Resort. Charleston, W. Va: Published for the Greenbrier by Pictorial Histories Pub. Co, 1989. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21426566 Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.). In America It's The Greenbrier: "Famous Since 1778", White Sulphur Springs West Virginia. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.]: [The Greenbrier], 1930. Signed, in print, L.R. Johnston, General Manager ... Possibly a proof copy. Printed as [12] p. on 2 sheets (45 x 58 cm. or smaller) with text on one side of sheet only. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/63110504 Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.). The Greenbrier Historical Heritage: White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia : Where the Vacation Season Never Ends. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.]: [The Greenbrier], 1965. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/76875121 Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs Company. A Treatise on the White Sulphur Springs and Its Waters, 1892. [Richmond, Va.]: [A. Hoenx], 1892. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/26019669 Greenbrier Hotel, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. General Robert E. Lee at White Sulphur Springs, 1867–'68–'69. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.]: [The Greenbrier], 1932. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/6366418 Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.). The Portico. White Sulphur Springs, W. Va: The Greenbrier, 1932. "Published weekly, during the season. Sub-title: "Tales of the 'Old White' and Notes from the Greenbrier." Editor: Alice Elizabeth Gasaway, The Greenbrier ..." https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47804280 Greenbrier (White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.), and Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company. Green-Brier White Sulphur Springs, 1900. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.]: [Greenbrier], 1900. Contains a description of the hotel (with rates), society and its amusements and scenery, with an analysis of the water, a Bird's eye view of the White Sulphur Springs, and information on Chesapeake and Ohio's train service to the area. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/233974083 Keefer, Louis E. Shangri-La for Wounded Soldiers: The Greenbrier As a World War II Army Hospital. Reston, VA: Cotu Pub, 1995. MacCorkle, William Alexander. The White Sulphur Springs; The Traditions, History, and Social Life of the Greenbriar White Sulphur Springs. New York: The Neale Publishing Company, 1916. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1581713 Miscellaneous Materials About Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Includes Informational Brochures, Menus, Calendars, Postcards. 1940. Artist sees the Greenbrier; Roads and trails on the estate and in the vicinity of the Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; White Sulphur Springs, the Greenbrier and cottages; Greenbrier overture; Follow the Old Buffalo and Seneca trails to White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; Baths and medical department of the Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia; America's most beautiful all-year-resort, the Greenbrier and cottages; Greenbrier calendar; Robert E. Lee week; Old White arts school and colony; Old White Art Gallery; President's cottage, 1835–1932; White Sulphur for conventions. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/647900978 Moorman, J. J. Virginia White Sulphur Springs With the Analysis of Its Waters, the Diseases to Which They Are Applicable, and Some Account of Society and Its Amusements at the Springs. Baltimore: Kelly, Piet, 1869. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/10845672 Moorman, J. J. A Brief Notice of a Portion of a Work by William Burke, Entitled "The Mineral Springs of Western Virginia": With Preliminary Remarks on the Relative Virtues of the Saline and Gaseous Contents of the White Sulphur Water. Philadelphia: Printed by Merrihew and Thompson, 1843. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/14828853 Olcott, William. The Greenbrier Heritage. [Philadelphia?]: [Arndt, Preston, Chapin, Lamb & Keen], 1967. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/564643 Panel Descriptions of the Virginia Room. The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. [White Sulpher Springs, W. Va.]: [The Greenbrier], 1931. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47745488 Pencil, Mark. White Sulphur Papers, or, Life at the Springs of Western Virginia. New York: S. Colman, 1839. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/12415888 Rains, David. The History of the White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Famous Since 1778, And The Greenbrier and Cottages. Roanoke, Va: Stone Print. and manufacturing Co, 1939. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5576726 Smith, Wm. P. Topographical Map of a Portion of the White Sulphur Springs Tract in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. [United States]: [publisher not identified], 1875. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56966082 Topographic Map of White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County, West Virginia. [White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.?]: [publisher not identified], 1970. https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/13946601 External links Official website The Bunker – official site Additional History of the Bunker Congressional Bunker Tour Geoffrey Montes: Anatomy of a Room: Dorothy Draper’s Iconic Lobby for the Greenbrier; Galerie Magazine; Hudson Publishing LLC; October 9, 2020 Interview with Paul Fritz Bugas, former superintendent of the bunker Archived October 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine "Taking the Waters: 19th Century Medicinal Springs: White Sulphur Springs." Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia in Charlottesville (Archived at the Wayback Machine) "The Greenbrier Resort Hopes to Preserve Its Past" – New York Times, 2010 "The Ultimate Congressional Hideaway" – 1992 article exposing the bunker Virtual Tour at the Civil Defense Museum