Alum Springs Hotel revitalized as a learning tool

Nestled in New London, the Alum Springs Hotel offers an extraordinary glimpse into the echoes of the past. Its origins reach back to the 1870s when James Callaway built the eclectic mansion-style resort. the current building, constructed as a hotel in the 1910s, sits on the same site as two previous resort hotel buildings, both of which burned. Liberty students interested in public history can gain hands-on learning experience at this historic site through research initiatives at the history department.  

It is believed that the alum mineral springs nearby attracted many visitors to the resort of Alum Springs Hotel. Visitors and residents believed the water had healing properties, so the water was bottled up and capitalized on by many, including the Alum Springs Hotel from the 1850s into the 1920s. 

 During the Roaring 20s, famous silent movie stars of the time traveled to the Alum Springs Hotel to try their luck with the mineral water. Now the resort stands as a testament to the mineral craze of the time.

Donna Donald, director of public history initiatives, leads student research projects at the Alum Springs Hotel. She brings students in public history classes and historic preservation classes on site to work side-by-side with archeologists as they comb through the surrounding grounds. These classes cover historical interpretation, investigation and research, so scholars can learn the history of properties and use their research skills to interpret it for the public. 

“Our history students are award-winning researchers, but this gives them the chance to actually touch and feel, to get their hands in the dirt and to have interactions with professionals in the field,” Donald said, referencing the educational benefits for students. 

Among the artifacts excavated by students and experts, some interesting pieces include musket balls and buttons dating back to the Revolutionary period, as well as coins, ceramics, nails and glass bottles from the Alum Springs, used to sell the minerals to visitors seeking the healing elements believed to be within the mineral water.  

Though the Alum Springs Hotel is a beautiful historical site, Donald said that the surrounding land is the true archeological gem. Because the hotel burned down twice, this third building does not have any major historic associations. Rather, underneath the surface is what gives the location its significance.

“In the archeological excavation I had mentioned the arsenal site, and that’s probably nationally the most important piece of New   London history … (because it’s) related to the American Revolution. The story of the New London arsenal is largely lost … there were only five continental arsenals, and this was one of them,” Donald said. 

The arsenal supplied troops with gunpowder, bayonets and other weapons necessary to defeat the British. During an archeological survey dig on one section of the property, diggers discovered a set of steps leading down to a cellar that appeared to match the descriptions of the New London arsenal building. Donald anticipates that with enough grants, the rest of the cellar will be uncovered, revealing many more historic treasures. 

Donald ultimately wishes to create a real-life experience using the renovated buildings as a public space like a bed and breakfast or conference center with a historic component. She wishes to have the former tenant house transformed into a classroom and archeology lab for students to access. For more information about New London projects and the Alum Springs Hotel, visit here

Greene is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion

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