Bladon Springs State Park
| Bladon Springs State Park | |
| Defunct state park | |
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Octagonal spring pavilion, the site's last remaining antebellum-era structure
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Alabama |
| County | Choctaw |
| Elevation | 131 ft (40 m) [1] |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. [1] |
| Area | 357 acres (144 ha) |
| Spa established | 1838 |
| - State purchase | 1934 |
| - Park opened | 1939 |
| - Park closed | 2015 |
| Management | None |
  Location in Alabama
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| Website: Bladon Springs State Park | |
Bladon Springs State Park was a 357-acre (144 ha) public recreation area centered on four mineral springs located at the site of an historic spa in Bladon Springs, Choctaw County, Alabama. It closed in October 2015.[2] The state park—which had offered a small campground and picnicking facilities—was one of several that were closed or saw curtailment of services in 2015 following state budget cuts.[3][4]
History
The springs bearing the name of the property's first owner, John Bladon, were opened as a spa by James Conner in 1838.[5] Travelers from near and far were drawn by the mineral content of the spring water, which was thought to possess healing qualities. The springs were analyzed by a state geologist in 1845 and found to contain sulfur, iron, magnesium, and calcium.[6]
After building cottages that could accommodate one hundred guests, Conner improved his spa in 1846 with a grand Greek Revival–style hotel that could house 200 more people.[5] The structure featured a full-length, two-story veranda across its front, ballroom, bowling alley, billiard room, hotel bar, and skating rink. A latticed pavilion over the principle spring, bath houses, latticed pergola, and croquet court were part of the grounds. The hotel was one of the largest wooden hotels ever built in Alabama and together with the grounds earned for the springs the nickname the "Saratoga of the South."[6]
The hotel operated through the Civil War, finding full operation again by 1870,[6] then saw diminishing popularity in the 20th century, until it closed "sometime after 1913."[5] Logging crews found lodging there until the hotel was purchased by the state in 1934 for state employee housing. The grounds were opened as a state park after the hotel burned down in 1938. The cottages were eventually demolished or moved, leaving the pavilion over the main spring as the only remaining original structure.[6] The park was among five Alabama state parks that were closed in 2015.[3][4]
Spring water
The water from the springs is laden with sulfur-fixing bacteria and is slightly yellow-tinged. It has a faint odor of sulfur and contains small gauze-like masses of the bacteria. These bacteria are harmless to humans. Although most visitors come to bathe in the water, it is also potable, and even pleasant to drink after the solid materials have been strained out and the water chilled.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Sulzby, James Frederick. Historic Alabama Hotels and Resorts. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 1960:51-58. ISBN 0-8173-5309-7.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bladon Springs State Park. |
- Bladon Springs State Park Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
