Watson Springs

A Roaring 20’s Resort with Curative Waters
 
Not far outside the city of Greensboro is Watson Springs, named for the US scout who purchased the property in 1786. The natural springs located there were believed to have curative powers.
    
In 1920, the Watson Springs Hotel opened and quickly became a popular risqué spot for folks who liked bootleg whiskey and racy entertainment. Sally Rand and her fan dancers once performed there. Watson Springs was so popular that special trains ran from Atlanta to Greensboro.

One of Greensboro’s beloved residents, E.H. Armor, once provided insight into the appearance and life of the hotel. His father operated the livery stable that took visitors from the train station to Watson Springs.  Mr. Armor took E.H. to the springs to help heal a broken arm.  E.H. remembered that the hotel stood on a bluff.  It was 2-stories with a restaurant on the first floor and rooms on the second floor. The restaurant had waiters with white cloths over their arms. Musicians playing mandolins and fiddles entertained the diners.  On the creek below was a springhouse with floors and walls covered with hexagonal tiles. Two brass faucets controlled water flow into the bath. Lamps mounted on brick pedestals lit the way from the hotel to the springhouse. A pavilion for dancing was located just upstream from the springhouse.  A few fishing cabins stood further upstream.

​Watson Springs Hotel burned to the ground in October, 1930. The hotel was seriously underinsured and the owner never rebuilt. The University of Georgia School of Forest Resources now owns the land. The ruins have long been covered  by thick underbrush but the memories remain.