If you’re buying a farm in Lake City, you’ll be glad to know that adventure is never very far away for those who want it. One such adventure: The Hampton Springs Hotel ruins. Here’s what you need to know.
Take a Day Trip to the Hampton Springs Hotel Ruins
Located in Perry, Florida – just a little over an hour’s drive from Lake City – the Hampton Springs Hotel ruins are extremely interesting to see. The hotel, which was supposed to be a bastion of timeless elegance, is now just a crumbling heap of debris.
With a rich (and some say haunted) history, the Hampton Springs Hotel was built on the land of a sulfur spring where Native Americans once gathered in peace. The Native Americans believed that the spring cured all kinds of ailments, and the tradition held for years.
In the late 1800s, a pair of brothers – Benjamin W. Hampton and Joseph L. Hampton – bought a large parcel of land near the spring. The two founded the Hampton Springs Hotel and Mineral Company, and shortly thereafter, they built a hotel. The first section was completed in 1908, and then it was expanded in 1915 when businessman J.W. Oglesby joined the brothers.
News of the spring’s alleged healing powers spread fast, and the hotel grew to include a casino, ballroom, covered pool, and even golf and tennis courts. The owners bottled and shipped water from the sulfur springs all over the country.
But the hotel wasn’t meant to last. In 1954, it burned to the ground – and the area was soon forgotten. The ruins of the hotel are still visible, though, and spring water still flows into the swimming pool. You can sit and enjoy a picnic on the grounds if you’d like.
Find the ruins of the Hampton Springs Hotel here.
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