Springing Forth

Berkeley Springs’ Famed Warm Waters and Small-Town Charm Attract an Eclectic Mix

Talia Cohen of Potomac is a modern-day sojourner to Berkeley Springs, W.Va. On a late fall day, her swimsuit-clad children were enjoying the warm waters of the Historic Roman Bath House at Berkeley Springs State Park while she was enjoying the quaint nuances of a simpler time, such as the town’s free holiday-weekend parking—signified by parking meters covered with paper bags decorated by local schoolchildren.

“We’ve never been here before, but it’s a nice town,” Cohen says. She and her husband, Hagay, discovered that Berkley Springs is close enough to Washington, D.C., for a getaway trip but quaint enough to make it seem like they were far from the city. “We like that it’s quiet,” Hagay says.

“We’ve always been a tourist town,” says Jeanne Mozier, vice president of Travel Berkeley Springs and owner of the Star Theatre, a historic movie house in the heart of town. “People have been coming here since the 1740s.” At that time, the land was owned by Thomas Lord Fairfax, a contemporary of George Washington. In fact, Washington visited the area and wrote of the springs.

In 1776, a town initially known as Bath was established around the springs. Famed engineer James Rumsey was commissioned to build bath houses and other public buildings and before long, the town’s reputation as tourist destination was born.

Diverse Sights

From the Apple Butter Festival in the fall to the Water Tasting Festival held at The Country Inn on Washington Street each February, Berkley Springs attracts an eclectic mix of visitors. Some are families, some are couples wanting some time to relax and reconnect, while others are groups of women seeking indulgent spa weekends.

Berkley Springs is happy to oblige and spas are plentiful. Even Berkeley Springs State Park offers massages, a practice that started in 1929. “To have something like this where the park, services and springs are on public land is very unusual,” Mozier says, jokingly adding that the park is “four acres and a lot of bath tubs.” Berkeley Springs Castle, once open for public tours and now a private residence, provides a fittingly majestic backdrop to the park and its bath houses.

Centrally located in town, the state park is surrounded by gift shops and restaurants, both of which also provide a significant draw for tourists. On Washington Street, Amy McBee welcomes tourists and locals alike for specials that change on almost a daily basis at her Tari’s A Premier Cafe. Known for crab cakes, cream of crab soup and what she calls an “amazing” seafood festival (which is part of a Valentine’s Day package), Tari’s has much to offer.

For those looking for a taste of home, The Country Inn on Washington Street offers old-fashioned meals, such as meatloaf and fried chicken. Co-owner Nancy Sostaric likes to describe her menu as “upscale home-cooking,” and encourages tourists to take a daytrip to Berkeley Springs. “Even if they don’t come and spend the night, they can always come and dine with us,” she says.

Dining With A View

A short drive along W.Va. Route 9 brings tourists and locals alike to Panorama at the Peak where they can experience “dining with a view.” The restaurant, located just across the street from the Panorama Overlook, provides a breath-taking view of three states—West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, as well as two rivers—the Potomac and the Cacapon.

Restaurant owners Leslie Hotaling and Patti Miller work with farmers to offer locally grown organic food, which has proven to be a hit with tourists who stop in often. “They are really shocked to find local, organic and vegetarian food on the north face of Cacapon Mountain,” Miller says. She and Hotaling plan to create hiking trails on the 60 acres they purchased six years ago, adding that “we bought this land to preserve the overlook.”

Outdoor enthusiasts also will want to drive about six miles outside of town to Cacapon State Park, which features an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones golf course, cabin rentals, hiking trails, horseback riding, swimming, paddle and row boat rentals, fishing and nature programs. “We like to think of ourselves as a park for all seasons,” says Park Superintendent Thomas D. Ambrose, who noted that many families hold their reunions at the park. “We tie the generations together.”

It’s a natural fit for Berkeley Springs. After all, generations have congregated here for centuries.