|
Located on the banks of the
Suwannee River immortalized by Stephen
Foster,
this quaint 1890's village still exudes the natural beauty, peace and
charm that drew thousands of visitors over a century ago. Come rediscover the allure the once made White Springs a major tourist
destination in Victorian America.
In 1902 construction began on White Springs first
masonry hotel and was described as a "fine stone and brick hotel." It
was built with locally available river rock hauled by mule teams
from the Suwannee
River, and brick from Georgia.
The proprietor was
W. B. Telford and the contractor was J.B. Bynum who built much of White
Springs. |
When it was
completed, the Telford featured
its own acetylene powered lighting system and its own water plant.
The 40 room hotel and 15,500 square feet and its mansard roof was made
of copper.
The original kitchen was a
separate building located directly behind
the present kitchen. Waiters were to whistle while carrying food so everyone
would know they were not eating the food between the kitchen and the
dining room.
The Telford Hotel is the only remaining hotel of the
fifteen hotels that flourished in White Springs at the turn of the
century when the area was a popular destination for the medical "white
springs" water. |
