Rockbridge Alum Springs, Virginia copper printing plate

Development of what would become the Rockbridge Alum Springs resort began in 1790 when Alexander Campbell and John Dunlap purchased a 2,000-acre tract, including the mineral springs. Around 1820 Dunlap opened informal accommodations for visitors seeking the water's reputed medicinal benefits, and in 1834 a small resort hotel followed. Before 1850 the Campbell family constructed a three-story brick Central Hotel. In 1852 the property passed to John W. Frazier for $150,000, who immediately launched an ambitious building campaign that more than doubled existing accommodations. The rebuilt resort opened June 1, 1853, and under William Frazier's management became one of Virginia's most fashionable destinations, ranking second only to White Sulphur Springs in popularity and capable of accommodating 600 to 800 guests by 1859. The surviving buildings reflect Frazier's eclecticism, drawing on Gothic Revival, Greek Revival, and vernacular traditions. Beyond resort operations, William Frazier actively marketed the springs through bottled water sales and printed promotional literature.

The Civil War ended the resort's antebellum prosperity when the complex was converted to a Confederate hospital. Competition from the adjacent Jordan Alum Springs, which opened a four-story Grand Hotel in 1873, further weakened its position. The two properties merged under new ownership in 1880, a railroad spur from Goshen was constructed to bring guests directly to the hotel, and further renovations were undertaken, but the resort never regained its antebellum standing. The main hotel closed in 1903, and the property finally succumbed during the Great Depression, selling in 1941 for $7,000. In 1942 Harold Bailey, a naval architect and ornithologist, purchased the property and undertook significant restoration, though he demolished the original Central Hotel to build a museum for his ornithological collection on its site. Following the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Bailey the property passed to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University before entering private ownership.

The district was listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register on April 21, 1987, and on the National Register of Historic Places on January 19, 1989.

References

"Rockbridge Alum Springs Historic District." Virginia Department of Historic Resources, DHR file no. 081-0086. https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/081-0086/. Accessed May 6, 2026.

Virginia Division of Historic Landmarks Staff. "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Rockbridge Alum Springs Historic District." Richmond: Virginia Division of Historic Landmarks, 1987. On file, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Richmond, VA. Listed January 19, 1989, NRHP reference no. 88003204.