West Warm Springs in Bath County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
West Warm Springs
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 25, 2022
1. West Warm Springs Marker
Inscription.
West Warm Springs. . African Americans, exercising newfound autonomy after the Civil War, purchased land here on the western slope of Little Mountain and established the community of West Warm Springs. Many early residents worked at nearby resorts, including the Warm Springs pools, or were skilled artisans and craftsmen. Central to community life were John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church (1873), Mount Pisgah Baptist Church (ca. 1880), and the Jones School, which served Black students early in the 20th century. Webbs Store (ca. 1900), restaurants, and a dance hall provided gathering places for residents. Descendants of the founding families have been instrumental in preserving the history of West Warm Springs.
African Americans, exercising newfound autonomy
after the Civil War, purchased land here on the
western slope of Little Mountain and established
the community of West Warm Springs. Many early
residents worked at nearby resorts, including the
Warm Springs pools, or were skilled artisans and
craftsmen. Central to community life were John
Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church (1873), Mount
Pisgah Baptist Church (ca. 1880), and the Jones
School, which served Black students early in the
20th century. Webbs Store (ca. 1900), restaurants,
and a dance hall provided gathering places for
residents. Descendants of the founding families
have been instrumental in preserving the history
of West Warm Springs.
Erected 2020 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number D-48.)
Location. 38° 3.326′ N, 79° 48.348′ W. Marker is in West Warm Springs, Virginia, in Bath County. It is on Mountain Valley Road (Virginia Route 39) just west of Edgewood Lane (County Route 622), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 15828 Mountain Valley Rd, Warm Springs VA 24484, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, in the Alleghany Highlands, and specifically in the Potomac Highlands. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 22, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 21, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 366 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 21, 2022, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. Photos of Web's Store, Wesley Episcopal Methodist Church, Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, Jones School • Can you help?
