Laurel Park in Henderson County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Crystal Spring

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 4, 2024

1. Crystal Spring Marker

Inscription. In the 1890's W.A. Smith began the development of Laurel Park as a recreational area with Crystal Spring as the focal point. Visitors came here for many years to picnic and drink the clear, cold water from this well known spring. A latticed shed initially covered the spring but by 1910 this had been replaced with the current native stone arch. Visitors would also stroll along Cupid's Path, bordered by rhododendron and laurel thickets, on their way to nearby Horseshoe Spring and Rainbow Lake.

Erected 2011 by Laurel Park Civic Association.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1890.

Location. 35° 18.744′ N, 82° 29.595′ W. Marker is in Laurel Park, North Carolina, in Henderson County. It is at the intersection of Crystal Springs Drive and Walnut Loop Road on Crystal Springs Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hendersonville NC 28739, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Mountains and in Greater Asheville.

It is also in the

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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 original Cherokee Nation,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Swiss Railway (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Park Heights Tower (about 500 feet away); The Quarry Tract (about 600 feet away); Original Water Reservoir and the Cascades (approx. 0.2 miles away); William Alexander Smith (approx. 0.3 miles away); Rhododendron Lake (approx. 0.3 miles away); “Woodlawn” (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Canal (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Laurel Park.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, February 4, 2024

2. Crystal Spring Marker

Crystal Spring image. Click for full size.

from Everywoman's Magazine via NC Digital Collections (Public Domain), May 1919

3. Crystal Spring

Cupid's Path image. Click for full size.

from Everywoman's Magazine via NC Digital Collections (Public Domain), May 1919

4. Cupid's Path

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on February 13, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 1,480 times since then and 101 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 13, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.