Bedford Springs Hotel Historic District
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Bedford Springs Hotel Historic District
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Omni Bedford Springs Resort - facade
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| Location | Off of U.S. 220, Bedford, Pennsylvania |
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| Coordinates | 39°59′47″N 78°30′28″W / 39.99639°N 78.50778°WCoordinates: 39°59′47″N 78°30′28″W / 39.99639°N 78.50778°W |
| Area | 300 acres (120 ha) |
| Built | 1806 |
| Architect | Solomon Filler |
| Golf course designer | Spencer Oldham - 1895 A. W. Tillinghast - 1912 Donald Ross - 1923 |
| Architectural style |
Colonia Revival, Greek Revival, Italianate |
| NRHP reference # | 84001413 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 20, 1984 |
| Designated NHLD | July 17, 1991 |
| Designated PHMC | June 4, 1947 |
Omni Bedford Springs Resort is a resort hotel outside of Bedford, Pennsylvania. Established in 1806, it is one of last and best-preserved of 19th-century resort hotels based around mineral springs. The hotel was documented in 2005 by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS). Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The resort is part of the Omni Hotels & Resorts brand, based out of Dallas, Texas. A portion of the resort property, including the hotel, golf course, and spring areas, was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1984.
In 1796, Nicholas Shauffler discovered a high mineral content in the natural freshwater springs located on the property of Fredrick Naugel, outside of Bedford, Pennsylvania. These springs were reputed to have 'healing powers" by the Native Americans who had come to this spot to drink from and bathe in the waters for centuries. Doctor John Anderson, then practicing in the town of Bedford, purchased the land containing the springs in 1798 and proceeded to build bathing facilities for his patients; thus starting the tradition of people traveling to experience the waters of the Bedford springs and setting the foundation for what is today Bedford Springs Resort, an upscale destination, located just off the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The popularity and reputation of the Dr. Anderson's treatments grew throughout the early 19th Century and by 1809, there were three buildings on the site, including The Stone House, Crockford and a precursor to the Evitt House. According to a travelogue by Joshua Galpin in 1809, these buildings included a "large frame lodging house and several smaller ones for families – warm and cold baths and a billiard room." In 1824, Bedford Springs was hailed as the "Montpelier of America" in a column in the July edition of the National Gazette & Library Register, which noted with praise the waters, accommodations, activities, food and wine. The popularity of the resort benefited from the emphasis on outdoor life in the mid-nineteenth century as east coast American cities became increasingly industrialized and polluted, and from the establishment of stops in Bedford for the B&O and Pennsylvania Railroads beginning in 1872, providing easy accessibility from cities such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City.
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