Historic Bath County

Bath County, formed in 1790, encompasses 540 square miles of mostly mountainous terrain. It has established itself as a frontier for good fortune. Located in the west-central portion of Virginia in the scenic Allegheny Mountains, it was named for the English resort city of Bath. The Homestead, a world-class resort, was constructed in 1846 in the community of Hot Springs (about 20 minutes from our ranch). The County quickly became a national resort attraction. Warm Springs, five miles north of Hot Springs, is the county seat and home of local government. The soothing mineral waters from those springs have attracted visitors for over 200 years. Among the notable historic figures who have “taken the waters” at these famous springs are George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Robert E. Lee.

Things to do in Bath County
(from the Bath county website: www.bathcountyva.org/history.htm)

Bath County was settled in 1745 by pioneers of mostly Scotch/Irish descent; many were educated, Presbyterian men from Ulster Ireland. The “father”of Bath County was John Lewis, who first settled with his wife, Margaret Lynn, northwest of Staunton, VA in 1732 at Fort Lewis. By 1740 he had purchased land on the Cowpasture River which he gave by deed to his only American born child, Charles, who settled at Fort Lewis in 1761 with his new bride, Sarah Murray. Charles later died at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774. Another son of John Lewis, Andrew, along with Thomas Bullitt, obtained a patent for the Hot Springs tract of 300 acres. They built the first hotel on the site of the present Homestead resort in 1766.

The county is rich in history and there are many period homes and buildings still standing from its early years. A few of the historic properties of Bath are the Sitlington Plantation located on Route 42 South; Fort Lewis Farm; Cameron Law Office at Fassifern Farm on the Jackson River; the Anderson Cottage in Warm Springs; Warwickton at Hidden Valley (film location for the movie “Sommersby”); Gatewood House (Cash House) in Mountain Grove; Folly Farm on Route 6-3; the Mustoe House located on Route 220 South; Jefferson Pools (formerly Warm Springs Pools); Warm Springs Inn (former Bath County Courthouse and Jail); the Windy Cove Presbyterian Church, Millboro Springs; and numerous structures at The Homestead Resort. Many of these historic locations are open to visitors while some are now private residences.