The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-07-29
SPRINGS
qERQlDIR !: 5 4
Under Lewis and . cirnesS Owner
ship, Grand Hotel and Center
81 House Are Erected.
al House Are Erected.
EU CHREs AND DINNER DANCES
from White and Salt
Salt ulpfur.and Other Neigh
boring Resorts
10 The Times -Dispatch.)

Especial to The Times -Dispatch.)
4 OLD SWEET SPRINGS. July Sin
a recent conversation with a gentleman
of the old school. whose life has been
spent{$in these mountains, your CORE,
spondent learned that the Old Sweet e I
joys the distinction Of being the Oldest
watering place in this part Of the co oNill
try. & 954 MON a@gs Il az
The spring was located as early as
1850, by William Lewis, son OF John ..
Lewis, OF Augusta, but t was mot until
1882 that he took up his residence here
and built the log house In the oak grove
near the spring known y as !, the Lewis
Cottage. Here General and Mrs. Wash
4ington visited the family upon several
occasions,
About the same time substantial log
building was erected on the knoll south
lsof the spring, to- be used as a summer
hotel. This became known far and wide,
and grew In popularity, requiring the d.
sdition OF several cottag es. It'd Here stately
danes and courtly8 squires were wont to
assemble In 1.-The summer-tt time, travelling
In their own coaches, accompanied BY
their families and retinue OF servants.
BUILT GRAND HOTEL.
i 81 About 1880 Mr. Ben. Lewis, grandson
OF the property, and, wishing to make It
more worthy OF it's aristocratic patron
age, built the present imposing colonial
structure known as the Grand Hotel,
which is said to contain quite a; million
bricks. This was indeed an immenss im-
provement to the, place. but. alas for
poor Ben. 1t proved his undoing,f and
forced him to part with the estate ~
1888. # i5 ~ Il @ aS44
One Of the stock company who ,pur:-
chased At was Mr.. oliver Betrne, who
,onn hecan1e its sole OWner,it llgEE s53stf
He built the Centre House. the FIVE
brick cottages, and, In fact, all of the
present outbuildlngs, furnished S5all N ele-
santly, and, as long as he lived, kept the
place up handsomely. regardless o. Cost Isl
or returns. For nearly seventy years the
I3eIrne family remained II possession, ana
then Lewis came unto his own nga IN
Nh. Charles Cameron Lewis, OF
Charleston, w, Wa.,,E who la descended
from john y, Lewis through his SON
Charles Cameron Is the present oWnel.
|It IL his aim to maintain tho Old repula :
|ttlon OF tho springs for ELEGANCE ana
comfort, q. . /, y, !, !, H j, I, /. As Y. N
Under q new managelnenl, Wlln IN ~,
Ties. the Old Sweet Is entering upon g
new era Of prosperity and VIII hold it g
own among Southern resorts Isl 5tgt NJ
Dinner dances. SD to speak are ;Gulte
feature Of life here on "wednesday
evening IA party Of young Richmond peo-
pie from ,neighboring resorts drove ~ llp
about dark, and after "a delightfu !. ~ meal.
finished the evening In the bathroom z ON
tn he party were Misses Bessie iTomp-
TIM lT,t !. Mary II iekoks ana Alma Cecil, with
Dr Russell Cecil. Jrs and Mr. Charles y 81 81
THE irih next day BY Invitation from
AIessrs. j !. AZ sPullian and Walter Il M ~
han, two young engineers who are Pros
4 Posting some nine miles II ON here z 2