Sweet Springs in Monroe County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)

Rowan Memorial Home

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, August 13, 2010

1. Rowan Memorial Home Marker

Inscription. Established as a home for the aged by act of the Legislature in 1945. Named for Andrew Summers Rowan, carrier of the "message to Garcia". The oldest building, erected in 1833, is of Thomas Jefferson design and named in his honor.

Erected 1978 by West Virginia Department of Culture and History.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Charity & Public Work. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #03 Thomas Jefferson, and the West Virginia Archives and History series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1945.

Location. 37° 37.601′ N, 80° 14.779′ W. Marker is in Sweet Springs, West Virginia, in Monroe County. Marker is at the intersection of Sweet Springs Valley Road (West Virginia Route 3) and Kanawha Trail (West Virginia Route 311), in the median on Sweet Springs Valley Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Gap Mills WV 24941, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Gov. John Floyd (here, next to this marker); Governor John Floyd (a few steps from this marker); Ann Royall / Sweet Springs

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(approx. 0.3 miles away); Great Eastern Divide (approx. 5.4 miles away); Andrew S. Rowan (approx. 10.1 miles away); William J. Humphreys / Gap Mills (approx. 10.1 miles away); Greenbrier County / Virginia (approx. 10.6 miles away); Alleghany County Va. / West Virginia (approx. 10.6 miles away in Virginia). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sweet Springs.

More about this marker. Marker was originally erected at 37° 37.601′ N, 80° 14.779′ W, 0.4 miles north of this location, at Kanawha Trail across from Jefferson Lane, adjacent to the property. It was found at the current location May 30, 2015.

Regarding Rowan Memorial Home. The Andrew Rowan Memorial Home was created in 1945 by the West Virginia Legislature with the purchase in 1941 of the shuttered Old Sweet Springs health resort. At purchase it consisted of the Jefferson Building, shown in Photograph

Rowan Memorial Home and Two Other Markers image. Click for full size.

Photographed By J. J. Prats, May 30, 2015

2. Rowan Memorial Home and Two Other Markers

No. 3, the Ball Building and four two-story guest homes. It closed in 1993.

Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. It is about Andrew Sommers Rowan, who was born nearby. There is information about the “message to Garcia” on that page.

Also see . . .
1. Old Sweet Springs (pdf file). National Register of Historic Places (Submitted on August 16, 2010.)

2. Sweet Springs Resort. This page has numerous photographs of the property and an excellent recounting of its history. (Submitted on May 31, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.)

Additional commentary.
1. Memories
We visited there when I was a kid. Andrew Summers Rowan was my grandfather’s uncle. They treated us like royalty. This was in the mid sixties.

I went back in 2000 to find it closed and abandoned. I went to the swimming pool to find it dried and cracking. The memories were breaking my heart to see this. While there in the changing room I found old newspapers from 1920, a bottle of shoe polish with a cork lid, a can of Menenn’s Powder that said to use to brush your teeth

Kanawha Trail WV Rt 311 (facing south) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, August 13, 2010

3. Kanawha Trail WV Rt 311 (facing south)

Original location of the marker at WV 311 and Jefferson Lane. It was found at its present location in 2015

with it. While there I found a piece of marble that had been taken off the porch at some time.

The old houses where we stayed, the memories of my grandfather and grandmother came back to me, running back and forth on that big front porch while the old men rocked in their chairs. What a memory! It choked me up and had tears running down my cheek, when we stayed there for a few days on our way to D.C I’ll never forget.

How proud my grandfather was, knowing we had heroes in our family: Andrew Sommers Rowan and Judge John Rowan from Federal Hill in Bardstown KY, also known as my old Kentucky home. What a proud family I come from but they are all gone now. All that’s left is the memories I have.

— Submitted May 16, 2015, by Harold Ray Rowan of Whitley city, Kentucky.

2.
My grandfather, Dr. Joseph Rohr, was, I think, the first head physician at Sweet Springs. I have fond memories of visiting there in the 1950s. Please let me know any information you have about this facility - stories, pictures, anything. I was last there in 1984, the staff still had records with my

The Jefferson Building of the Andrew Rowan Memorial Home image. Click for full size.

Photographed By J. J. Prats, May 30, 2015

4. The Jefferson Building of the Andrew Rowan Memorial Home

Compare with Photo No. 6. The portico parallel to the highway was probably removed when the highway was widened.

grandfather's signature. I didn't know that it had been abandoned for so long. I would love to hear any thing about this wonderful place.

Thanks!
Judi Pence

— Submitted September 25, 2010, by Judi Pence of Columbus, Ohio.

Rowan Memorial Home image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Bernard Fisher, August 13, 2010

5. Rowan Memorial Home

National Register of Historic Places

6. Rowan Memorial Home

Jefferson Hotel at Sweet Springs with horse drawn stage coach alongside. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Wheeling - Oglebay Institute

7. Jefferson Hotel at Sweet Springs with horse drawn stage coach alongside.

West Virginia Archives and History [ID Number CL22-0053]

Credits. This page was last revised on November 14, 2021. It was originally submitted on August 16, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,546 times since then and 112 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 16, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 2. submitted on May 31, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 3. submitted on August 16, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. 4. submitted on May 31, 2015, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. 5, 6, 7. submitted on August 16, 2010, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.