Cooperative Living February 2016 - 18

Recreational opportunities at The Omni Homestead Resort range from
horse-drawn carriage rides to golf in scenic mountain surroundings.
After a new railroad spur eased access to
Hot Springs in the 1880s, a larger hotel was
built. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by
fire in 1901; only the spa building, the
Casino building (now a casual restaurant)
and Cottage Row structures were saved. By
1902, the resort's main section was rebuilt
and in later years expanded with a
trademark tower and East, West, and
Garden Wings.
Homestead historian Keene Byrd and
archivist Cindy White point to two heydays
in the resort's history, the late 1800s and
the 1940s-1960s. Back in the day, it was
fashionable for socialites to " take the
waters " at The Homestead. Some stayed for
weeks, such as the arthritic wife of Gen.
Robert E. Lee.
Guests have included 23 presidents,
starting with Thomas Jefferson, who
relieved his " rheumatism " in the warm
springs now known as the Jefferson Pools.
William Howard Taft campaigned for
president from the porch, and Thomas
Edison made a recording of Taft's speech
(now in the Smithsonian Institution).
Edison, a frequent visitor, built the hotel's
first power plant, which still exists.
Byrd, who gives daily history tours, has
to correct visitors on one misperception -
The Homestead does not have a historic
emergency underground bunker for
Congress - that's The Greenbrier resort in
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.
The modern Homestead has 483 guest
rooms and suites; conference space; formal
and casual restaurants; ballrooms; a movie
theater; a library; a state-of-the-art spa with
an aqua thermal suite; a spa garden with a
river reflexology walk; and a two-acre
16 | Cooperative Living | February 2016
family water park with a lazy river.
Guests can still soak in the historic hot
springs or in the 98-degree waters of the
Jefferson Pools in nearby Warm Springs,
where the oldest of two wooden
bathhouses dates to 1761.
The 2,300-acre, four-season property
has a boatload of recreational activities,
including skiing, tennis, swimming,
fishing, hiking, skeet shooting,
horseback riding, archery, paintball,
Segways, carriage rides and even
falconry. The resort is especially known
for its golf program, which has
produced two tour players (Sam Snead
and J.C. Snead), served as training
ground for 37 golf professionals, and
nurtured countless amateur golfers.
" The [Homestead's] Cascades Course
is to amateur golf what Pebble Beach has
been to professional golf, " says Don
Ryder, the resort's former golf director.
The resort's Old Course has the
nation's oldest first tee in continuous use.
The hotel enjoys a fine reputation.
Condé Nast Traveler readers cite The
Homestead as among the top 20 resorts
in the South.
" The Homestead is one of the oldest
and most treasured resorts in the
Commonwealth, and beloved by people
from across the country and the world, "
says Caroline Logan of Virginia Tourism
Corporation.
LOYAL GUESTS AND STAFF
Guests and staff alike have genuine
affection for The Homestead. There's a
sense of family, with generations of
guests returning, according to Managing
Director Jurcak. He heard of one family
who has enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at
the hotel for 38 years - with the same
server each time.
Among frequent guests are brothers
Channing M. Hall III, an attorney, and J.
Lesslie Hall III, a Realtor, from
Williamsburg, Virginia. Three generations
of their family, starting with their
grandparents, have found The Homestead
to be " a home away from home. " Their
father " decompressed " at the resort after
World War II, and as youngsters the Hall
boys attended summer camp in the county
and hiked Warm Springs Mountain. Over
the years, the Hall family has celebrated
birthdays and holidays at the resort,
though a special occasion wasn't needed for
a visit.
The Hall siblings find the resort
appealing for several reasons.
One is the multitude of activities offered,
including sporting clays, which they
both enjoy. Or, there is the option of just
relaxing with a book.
" If someone is bored at The Homestead
there's something wrong with them, " says
Lesslie.
The brothers joke The Homestead is a
place where guests can lose track of time.
" You get in a Bath County time warp
and all is well, " says Lesslie.
Channing considers the resort a
" paradigm of Virginia hospitality " and
appreciates its " understated elegance. "
He adds that " taking the waters " at the
Jefferson Pools is one of the quintessential
Homestead experiences, and a stay at the
resort is reinvigorating and " good for the
soul. "
www.co-opliving.com
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living February 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living February 2016
