Now Is Time for Greenwell Springs Historic Park

Central Should Seize The Moment, Acquire Hospital, Rebuild the Hotel, and Create a Civil War Attraction

by Woody Jenkins, Editor

CENTRAL — This is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Baton Rouge and of the important role Greenwell Springs played as the launching pad for the Confederate assault on the Union forces there.

A time like this should make us think about our history and about how it has formed us as individuals and as a community.

Ironically, now is also the first time in nearly 100 year that the site of so many historic events — the Greenwell Springs Hospital — is no longer in use as a hospital and is available for some other, yet-to-be-deter-

mined purpose.

The availability of the property perhaps as a gift from the state, presents a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a major Civil War tourist attraction right here in Central.

Greenwell Springs is one of the most interesting and historic sites in this part of Louisiana, and the thoughtful development of Greenwell Springs as an Historic Park could have a lasting impact on this community.

It could allow us to capture and preserve our history before it becomes a dim memory lost to future generations.

And it could allow Central to develop a tourist industry that could pay dividends for generations to come.

The history of the land around the Greenwell Springs Hospital includes a rich heritage that spans at least 1,000 years:

• The banks of the Amite River and the curative mineral springs provided a pleasant site for Indian villages for hundreds of years.  Even in those days, native Americans travelled great distances to drink the water and bathe themselves in the mineral springs.  It was also a burial ground, and Indian artifacts were often found in the area in the 1800’s and early 1900’s.

• In the 1850’s, investors began developing the Greenwell Springs Resort, and the Greenwell Springs Hotel was built.  It became an immediate success.  Stagecoaches ran back and forth from Baton Rouge throughout the day, bringing tourists from all over the state and visitors from many distance places.  Advertisements in the newspapers in Baton Rouge and New Orleans heralded the pleasant, disease-free surroundings and the curative power of the waters from the mineral springs — both for drinking and bathing.

• A series of streets was laid out for Greenwell Springs, and lots were sold to build camps and summer houses.  The hotel itself was a large and imposing building, quite impressive for the rural setting.

• A dance pavilion was built above the Spring House, and it was the scene of countless gay parties of the elite of Baton Rouge in 1850’s.  During the season, the population of Greenwell Springs resort would soar to 300 to 400 people.  Parties and barbecues could include 500 or more.

• The Greenwell Springs Water Company bottled water from the springs and shipped it across the country.  Chemists analyzed the mineral content of the water from each of 10 different springs and gave high opinions of the properties from each of the springs.  Bold and amazing claims were made of the many cures and the healing powers of the waters, and these claims were made by well known experts with scientific backgrounds.

• By 1861, the winds of war had swept the South.  The young men had gone away to fight, and there was little money or time for the good life.  But when the Yankees occupied Baton Rouge and burned and looted the city, many people fled to Greenwell Springs.  It was for all practical purposes a refugee camp.  People like Sarah Morgan Dawson were among the refugees.  The 16-year-old wrote the now-famous book, A Confederate Girl’s Diary, which recounts her wartime experiences.

• In early August 1862, more than 2,800 Confederate soldiers were ordered on a grueling forced march from Amite, Louisiana, to Baton Rouge.  By the time they reached Greenwell Springs, far fewer could carry on.  They rested at the resort, and some who were unable to continue stayed there.  Those who were able to go on stopped at the Comite River around 2 p.m. on Aug. 4, 1862.  They drank the water and bathed in the river, a welcome respite from their terrible march.

• After the battle, wounded Confederate soldiers were brought to the Greenwell Springs Hotel, which was quickly converted into a military hospital.  The residents along Greenwell Springs Road volunteered to tend those who were injured or dying.  Many were the suffering young men who were comforted by the kindness of the women of Greenwell Springs.  Yankee soldiers too were brought to the hospital, and they too were treated with concern and kindness.  Some of the young soldiers who died were buried on the grounds.

• As the crisis subsided and the wounded were gradually sent back to their units or home, the hotel, which had seen so many interesting visitors and exciting events, fell into disuse. People began to return to Baton Rouge, and many dismantled their camps as the only source of lumber to begin rebuilding their homes in Baton Rouge.  Much of the hotel too was dismantled.  Then in 1865, what remained of the hotel was destroyed in a fire.

• In about 1910, a new Greenwell Springs Water Company was founded and the hotel was rebuilt.  Greenwell Springs was once again a popular resort, but after only a year or two, a poor economy and the low pressure of the spring water forced the hotel to close.  There it sat for 10 years until it was destroyed in a mysterious fire.

• In the early 1920’s, a Tuberculosis Hospital was built on the site.  Later it became a mental institution, which served the people of the Florida Parishes of Louisiana.  Then this year, state budget cuts caused its closure.

In 2002, then-Rep. Tony Perkins passed legislation requiring the state to donate the use the land around the hospital to BREC to build a park.  Yet, despite much talk and even some written plans, nothing was done to build a park. In 2008, then-Rep. Bodi White, Mayor Mac Watts, and then-BREC Supt. Bill Palmer announced plans to build the Greenwell Springs Historic Park.

The Central City News for June 19, 2008, reported:

“Greenwell Springs Historic Site next to Greenwell Springs Hospital. It is the site of natural springs, which were used by Indians from time immemorial. Then in the 1850’s, it was the site of Greenwell Springs Hotel, a famous resort which attracted people from far and wide because of the healing properties of the spring water. Palmer said BREC will spend about $600,000 this year on the Greenwell Springs site. Improvements will include building an entrance road, cleaning the property, restoring the springs, building picnic areas, and a lot of trails. Eventually, an interpretative center or museum will be built, he said.  White said it would include a pavilion over the springs, which would duplicate a dance pavilion which was built over the springs during the 1850’s. The park will include about 80 acres. Palmer said the only delay is working out an agreement between BREC and the state on the details. Palmer said, ‘This site is very important to the history of Central and Greenwell Springs, and it has tremendous potential.’”

At the time, White, Watts, and Palmer said the money for the park was already in BREC’s budget.  But, so far, nothing has been done, and the money was apparently spent on other things.

However, with the Greenwell Springs Hospital closed, now is the time for action, not further delay.  The land in Rep. Tony Perkins’ original legislation in 2002 should be combined with the hospital grounds itself.  The old hospital should be torn down and a new historic park should be built in its place.  The old Greenwell Springs Hotel should be rebuilt.  The springs should be cleaned and utilized, and the Spring House should be rebuilt.

It will take money, but we send $1.5 million a year in taxes a year to BREC with little to show for it.

Properly designed, this site will draw tens of thousands of people a year to Central.  It will be the scene of countless festivals, reenactments, and special events.  It will spawn the creation of a hotel or a bed and breakfast, restaurants, and antique shops.

A Civil War Interpretative Center, explaining the role of Greenwell Springs in the war and the history of the site, could draw tourists from far and wide.

The worst thing would be to keep the old hospital building and renovate it to use as some kind of government agency.  The building is long, long past its useful life. We have enough old, run-down buildings of little significance without hanging on to another one.

Tear it down and build something truly great for Central in its place — a historic park and tourist attraction that will commemorate the many extraordinary events that have occurred at Greenwell Springs.