Mountain Springs Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Mountain Springs Hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and is located in Ephrata, Pennsylvania
, at the corner of East Main Street
and Spring Garden Street. It was originally built in 1848 as a summer resort, capitalizing on its natural spring water
, and hosted a variety of high-profile guests including several Presidents
. The resort lost its popularity in the early 20th century and fell into disrepair, but was eventually purchased and converted into the first hospital in the Ephrata area—serving from 1937 through 1949. It remained under private ownership and became dilapidated over the following decades, culminating in its complete closure in 1988 and the auctioning of its contents in 1991. The following decade was met with a variety of redevelopment proposals, and in the years around the turn of the 21st century it was decided that the property would be redeveloped with another hotel. The majority of the Mountain Springs Hotel was demolished in 2004, retaining a portion of one of the primary buildings. Today, a Hampton Inn
hotel and Applebee's
restaurant occupy the site alongside the restored building from the original Mountain Springs Hotel.
representing the area, built and established the Konigmacher Mansion as a summer resort facility. It was located at the edge of the Ephrata Ridge, above the center of town, along the turnpike leading toward Downingtown
(modern US 322
). At this location was a natural mineral spring
which gave rise to a renowned spa. By 1860, the original farmstead had grown to a 400-room hotel containing a 60 feet (18.3 m) high observatory. Under the direction of Senator Konigmacher, the resort grew to become a popular getaway for residents of Philadelphia, New York City
, and Baltimore
, and included visitors such as Presidents
Lincoln
, Grant
, and Buchanan
; and also Thaddeus Stevens
. In its heyday, a trolley
line connected the resort with the town's rail station further downhill. After the death of Joseph Konigmacher in 1861, the Mountains Springs Hotel continued to operated into the early 20th century, but was ultimately closed in the early 1900s. It remained in the hands of its sole owner Mr. D. S. Von Nieda.
Post 429 bought the park property. Camp Silver Belle subsequently purchased the Mountain Springs Hotel property from the Von Neida family. By this point, the hotel had been closed for approximately 30 years and had entered a state of considerable disrepair.
The area had been proposing tentative plans for a local hospital as early as 1918, as at the time the nearest hospitals were in Lancaster
. On 20 June 1937, the Silver Belle group, in its publication Spiritual Truth, announced that the Camp was establishing the Stephan Memorial Hospital on the property of the Mountain Springs Hotel. The facility was dedicated to the Stephans, who had since died. The new hospital was declared a non-profit organization
and was supervised by Mr. Henry Munch, with his wife as assistant and director of nursing. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Von Nieda helped to operate the new hospital. At its dedication, the nursing staff consisted of Laura Shirk of Ephrata and Mary Einwechter of Audubon, New Jersey
. Initial plans anticipated constructing a hospital of brick and concrete block along Spring Garden Street, though these plans were never realized.
Nearly three years later, on 31 May 1940, the Court of Common Pleas in Lancaster granted a charter to the institution such that it would be named the Ephrata Community Hospital. The hospital provided a full range of services among its 16-bed facility, including surgery and x-rays. An ambulance was supplied and maintained by the American Legion Post 429 until approximately 1960. In a one-year period between May 1946 and May 1948, the hospital cared for 58 medical, 414 surgical, 280 obstetrical, and 267 newborn patients. Preceding this, in 1943, the Board recognized that a new, larger, and better-equipped hospital would be necessary, prompting a fundraising drive beginning in May 1943. By July 1947, a new site was chosen on Martin Street, in the Arlington neighborhood of Ephrata. Ground was broken began that year and in 1948, local judge Guy K. Bard presented an address at the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone. Construction continued until autumn 1949, when from 29 October through 6 November the hospital hosted an open house of the new facility; and on the 6th, the new hospital was officially unlocked by Burgess David E. Good and, along with Rev. Andre, performed the formal dedication. The first patient was moved in the following day, on 7 November 1949.
on 2 March 1982. The hotel's site remained privately occupied until 1988, when the property was completely closed. Since the founding of the new Ephrata Community Hospital, the Mountain Springs facility fell into considerable disrepair, sprouting local legends and becoming known as the "haunted house
" among local children. The contents of the hotel were sold at an on-site auction in 1991. Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, a variety of reuse proposals were considered and rejected. A July 1992 proposal planned to subdivide 8.3 acres (33,588.9 m²) of the property for redevelopment, to reuse the frame hotel building, but to demolish some of the oldest structures on the property.
The majority of the Mountain Springs property was demolished in 2004, leaving only a portion of the main building remaining. Much of the property was cleared and regraded to make way for a new Hampton Inn hotel and an Applebee's restaurant. The remaining building was restored. The new hotel opened in 2005.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is located in Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Ephrata is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States, south east of Harrisburg and about west by north of Philadelphia. It is named after Ephrath, a biblical town in what is now Israel. Ephrata's sister city is Eberbach, Germany, the city where its founders originated. In its...
, at the corner of East Main Street
U.S. Route 322
U.S. Route 322 is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926...
and Spring Garden Street. It was originally built in 1848 as a summer resort, capitalizing on its natural spring water
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
, and hosted a variety of high-profile guests including several Presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. The resort lost its popularity in the early 20th century and fell into disrepair, but was eventually purchased and converted into the first hospital in the Ephrata area—serving from 1937 through 1949. It remained under private ownership and became dilapidated over the following decades, culminating in its complete closure in 1988 and the auctioning of its contents in 1991. The following decade was met with a variety of redevelopment proposals, and in the years around the turn of the 21st century it was decided that the property would be redeveloped with another hotel. The majority of the Mountain Springs Hotel was demolished in 2004, retaining a portion of one of the primary buildings. Today, a Hampton Inn
Hampton Inn
'Hampton Hotels, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton are the names of a brand of hotels trademarked by Hilton Worldwide. Most Hampton hotels are independently owned and operated by franchisees, though a few are owned and/or managed by the Hilton Hotels Corporation...
hotel and Applebee's
Applebee's
Applebee’s International, Inc., is an American company which develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain. As of September 2011, there were 2,010 restaurants operating system-wide in the United States, one U.S. territory and 14 other countries...
restaurant occupy the site alongside the restored building from the original Mountain Springs Hotel.
Hotel & spa resort
In 1848, Joseph Konigmacher, a state SenatorPennsylvania State Senate
The Pennsylvania State Senate has been meeting since 1791. It is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such...
representing the area, built and established the Konigmacher Mansion as a summer resort facility. It was located at the edge of the Ephrata Ridge, above the center of town, along the turnpike leading toward Downingtown
Downingtown, Pennsylvania
Downingtown is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, west of Philadelphia. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 7,891. Downingtown was settled by English and European colonists in the early 18th century and has a number of historic buildings and structures.-History:The town was...
(modern US 322
U.S. Route 322
U.S. Route 322 is a long, east–west United States Highway, traversing Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The road is a spur of U.S. Route 22 and one of the original highways from 1926...
). At this location was a natural mineral spring
Mineral spring
Mineral springs are naturally occurring springs that produce water containing minerals, or other dissolved substances, that alter its taste or give it a purported therapeutic value...
which gave rise to a renowned spa. By 1860, the original farmstead had grown to a 400-room hotel containing a 60 feet (18.3 m) high observatory. Under the direction of Senator Konigmacher, the resort grew to become a popular getaway for residents of Philadelphia, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, and included visitors such as Presidents
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
, and Buchanan
James Buchanan
James Buchanan, Jr. was the 15th President of the United States . He is the only president from Pennsylvania, the only president who remained a lifelong bachelor and the last to be born in the 18th century....
; and also Thaddeus Stevens
Thaddeus Stevens
Thaddeus Stevens , of Pennsylvania, was a Republican leader and one of the most powerful members of the United States House of Representatives...
. In its heyday, a trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
line connected the resort with the town's rail station further downhill. After the death of Joseph Konigmacher in 1861, the Mountains Springs Hotel continued to operated into the early 20th century, but was ultimately closed in the early 1900s. It remained in the hands of its sole owner Mr. D. S. Von Nieda.
Hospital
A spiritualist group named Camp Silver Belle met Mr. and Mrs. John Stephan, an Ephrata couple, in Florida during the 1930s. Together, the couple and the group bought what was to eventually become the Ephrata Park. This property was used for meetings, conferences, services, and vacations, until in 1935 the local American LegionAmerican Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
Post 429 bought the park property. Camp Silver Belle subsequently purchased the Mountain Springs Hotel property from the Von Neida family. By this point, the hotel had been closed for approximately 30 years and had entered a state of considerable disrepair.
The area had been proposing tentative plans for a local hospital as early as 1918, as at the time the nearest hospitals were in Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
. On 20 June 1937, the Silver Belle group, in its publication Spiritual Truth, announced that the Camp was establishing the Stephan Memorial Hospital on the property of the Mountain Springs Hotel. The facility was dedicated to the Stephans, who had since died. The new hospital was declared a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
and was supervised by Mr. Henry Munch, with his wife as assistant and director of nursing. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Von Nieda helped to operate the new hospital. At its dedication, the nursing staff consisted of Laura Shirk of Ephrata and Mary Einwechter of Audubon, New Jersey
Audubon, New Jersey
Audubon is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,819.On March 13, 1905, through an act of the New Jersey Legislature, Audubon was created a borough from portions of Haddon Township. It was named after John James...
. Initial plans anticipated constructing a hospital of brick and concrete block along Spring Garden Street, though these plans were never realized.
Nearly three years later, on 31 May 1940, the Court of Common Pleas in Lancaster granted a charter to the institution such that it would be named the Ephrata Community Hospital. The hospital provided a full range of services among its 16-bed facility, including surgery and x-rays. An ambulance was supplied and maintained by the American Legion Post 429 until approximately 1960. In a one-year period between May 1946 and May 1948, the hospital cared for 58 medical, 414 surgical, 280 obstetrical, and 267 newborn patients. Preceding this, in 1943, the Board recognized that a new, larger, and better-equipped hospital would be necessary, prompting a fundraising drive beginning in May 1943. By July 1947, a new site was chosen on Martin Street, in the Arlington neighborhood of Ephrata. Ground was broken began that year and in 1948, local judge Guy K. Bard presented an address at the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone. Construction continued until autumn 1949, when from 29 October through 6 November the hospital hosted an open house of the new facility; and on the 6th, the new hospital was officially unlocked by Burgess David E. Good and, along with Rev. Andre, performed the formal dedication. The first patient was moved in the following day, on 7 November 1949.
Disrepair
The hotel's site was added to the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on 2 March 1982. The hotel's site remained privately occupied until 1988, when the property was completely closed. Since the founding of the new Ephrata Community Hospital, the Mountain Springs facility fell into considerable disrepair, sprouting local legends and becoming known as the "haunted house
Haunted house
A haunted house is a house or other building often perceived as being inhabited by disembodied spirits of the deceased who may have been former residents or were familiar with the property...
" among local children. The contents of the hotel were sold at an on-site auction in 1991. Throughout the 1990s and into the early 2000s, a variety of reuse proposals were considered and rejected. A July 1992 proposal planned to subdivide 8.3 acres (33,588.9 m²) of the property for redevelopment, to reuse the frame hotel building, but to demolish some of the oldest structures on the property.
Modern Hotel
In December 1999, the Ephrata Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) received a grant from the Ephrata Borough facilitating the purchase of the Mountain Springs Hotel property. Local planning efforts within the community—including the Downtown Visioning Process of 2002—consistently identified the need to reestablish a hotel on the 8 acres (32,374.9 m²) site, intended to serve as a focal point for the revitalization of the downtown area. Over the following years, the EEDC entered the property into the Keystone Opportunity Program run by the State, securing a $2.6 million Commonwealth Redevelopment Capital Assistance Program grant to create a hotel on the site.The majority of the Mountain Springs property was demolished in 2004, leaving only a portion of the main building remaining. Much of the property was cleared and regraded to make way for a new Hampton Inn hotel and an Applebee's restaurant. The remaining building was restored. The new hotel opened in 2005.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania