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Coordinates: 37°47′07″N 80°18′30″W / 37.7854°N 80.3083°W / 37.7854; -80.3083
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YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center
Administration Building
LocationEstes Park, Colorado
Built1910
ArchitectJohn H.B. Latrobe; et al.
Architectural styleClassical Revival, Federal
NRHP reference No.74002000
Significant dates
Added to NRHPOctober 9, 1974[1]
Designated NHLJune 21, 1990[2]

YMCA of the Rockies Estes Park Center is a 100-year old retreat and conference center bordering Rocky Mountain National Park, located near Estes Park in Larimer County, Colorado, United States.

For most of its history the hotel was owned by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway and its successors, currently CSX Corporation. Following a year of heavy losses, CSX placed the hotel into bankruptcy in 2009. Local entrepreneur Jim Justice subsequently bought the property and guaranteed all debts, resulting in dismissal of the bankruptcy. Justice has promised to return the hotel to its former status as a five star resort, and to introduce "tasteful" gambling for guests as a revenue enhancer.

Every U.S. president from Dwight Eisenhower through George W. Bush has stayed at the resort's presidential suite,[citation needed] although not necessarily while in office.

The Greenbrier is also the site of a massive underground bunker that was meant to serve as an emergency shelter for the United States Congress during the Cold War.

History

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A spring of sulphur water is at the center of the resort property. It issues forth below the green dome of the white-columned springhouse that has been the symbol of The Greenbrier for generations. Beginning in 1778, Mrs. Anderson, a local pioneer, came to follow the local Native American tradition of "taking the waters" to restore her chronic rheumatism and for the first 125 years the resort was known by the name White Sulphur Springs.

The property soon fell into the hands of a prominent Baltimore family, the Calwells. Under the Calwells, the resort would begin to take shape. They sold cottages to prominent Southern individuals, many of which still stand today. Notable guests of the time included Martin van Buren and Henry Clay.

In 1858, a hotel was built on the property. This original hotel, The Grand Central Hotel, known by the moniker "The White" and later "The Old White", was torn down in 1922, several years after the addition of the current building. During the Civil War, the property changed hands between the Confederate Army and the Union Army, who almost burned the resort to the ground.

At White Sulphur Springs, 1870

Following the Civil War, the resort reopened. It became a place for many Southerners and Northerners alike to vacation, and the setting for many famous post-war reconciliations, including the White Sulphur Manifesto, which was the only political position issued by Robert E. Lee after the Civil War, that advocated the merging of the two societies. The resort went on to become the center of post-war society, especially after the arrival of the railroad.

In 1910, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway purchased the resort property, building additional amenities and The Greenbrier Hotel in 1913. At this time, the name officially changed to The Greenbrier, as the neighboring town adopted the name White Sulphur Springs. During World War II, the resort served both as an army hospital and as a relocation center for some of the Axis diplomats still within the United States.

After the war ended, C&O bought back the property from the government and reopened the resort, now redecorated by Dorothy Draper. Its reopening was a social event of the season, attracting such luminaries as the Duke of Windsor with his wife, Wallis Simpson, Bing Crosby, and The Kennedys. In recent history, the resort has hosted several presidents and vice-presidents, foreign dignitaries such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Debby Reynolds, and Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco.

Justice family ownership

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On March 20, 2009, the resort filed for bankruptcy, listing debt of up to $500 million and assets of $100 million. The resort lost $166 million in 2008. Pending court and regulatory approval, the resort was to be sold to the Marriott hotel chain (which has operated it), contingent upon significant concessions from the unions and approval of $50 million in financing from CSX.

On May 7, 2009 the Justice family of West Virginia publicly claimed that it had purchased the resort for $20 million. The Justice family, headed by patriarch James Justice, has extensive farm and milling operations in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina including 50,000 acres that it farms through its Justice Family Farms group headquartered in Beckley, West Virginia. In early 2009, it sold its Bluestone Coal Corporation network of West Virginia coal mines to Mechel.[3]

The Marriott Corporation asserted that it had a valid contract to purchase the hotel, and expected to see that contract honored. However, Justice ultimately settled with Marriott, and the bankruptcy judge dismissed the case on May 19, 2009, clearing the way for Justice's purchase of the property.[4][5] [6]

In November 2008 West Virginia voters narrowly approved a resolution that would permit casino style gambling at the hotel. The rules, regulations and tax rates were signed into law on May 8, 2009. The Justice family has said gambling would be "tasteful" if it was done.[7] The temporary casino named "The Tavern Casino" opened on October 1, 2009. The permanent casino is scheduled to open on April 1, 2010.

On March 31,2010, Jim Justice the owner of The Greenbrier Resort announced acquisition of The Resort at Glade Springs for an undisclosed price.[8]

The Bunker

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In the late 1950s, the U.S. government approached The Greenbrier for assistance in creating a secret emergency relocation center to house Congress in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. The classified, underground facility, dubbed "Project Greek Island",[9] was built at the same time as the West Virginia Wing (an above-ground addition to the hotel), from 1959 to 1962. For thirty years, The Greenbrier owners maintained an agreement with the federal government that, in the event of an international crisis, the entire resort property would be conveyed to government use, specifically as the emergency location for the legislative branch.

The underground facility contained a dormitory, kitchen, hospital, and a broadcast center for members of Congress. The latter had changeable seasonal backdrops to appear as if members of Congress were broadcasting from Washington, D.C.[citation needed] A 100-foot radio tower was installed 4.5 miles away for these broadcasts. The convention center, used by The Greenbrier guests for business meetings, was actually a disguised workstation area for members of Congress complete with hidden, 30-ton blast doors. The walls of the bunker were made of reinforced concrete designed to withstand a nuclear blast in Washington, D.C.

The center was maintained by government workers posing as hotel audiovisual employees, and operated under a dummy company named Forsythe Associates. Many of these same workers are now employed by the hotel and, for a time, gave guided tours. The complex is still maintained by The Greenbrier, and the facility remains much as it was in 1992, when the secret was revealed in the national press. While almost all of the furnishings were removed following the decommissioning of the bunker, the facility now has similar period furnishings to approximate what the bunker looked like while it was still in operation. Two of the original bunks in the dormitories remain.

The bunker was designed to be incorporated into the public spaces of the hotel so as to not draw attention. Much of the bunker space was visible to the public but went undetected for years, including The Exhibition Hall in the West Virginia Wing, which differs from other public spaces in the hotel due to large concrete columns present for reinforcing. Adjacent to the entrance of The Exhibition Hall is one of the original blast doors which can now be seen openly, the original screen which used to hide its presence removed.

AT&T provided phone service for both The Greenbrier Hotel and the bunker. All calls placed from the bunker were routed through the hotel's switchboard to make it appear as if they originated from the hotel itself. The communications center in the bunker today contains representatives of three generations of telephone technology used.

Although the bunker was kept stocked with supplies for 30 years, it was never actually used as an emergency location, even during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The bunker's existence was not acknowledged until The Washington Post revealed it in a 1992 story; immediately after the Post story, the government decommissioned the bunker.

The facility has since been renovated and is also used as a data storage facility for the private sector. It is once again featured as an attraction in which visitors can tour the now declassified facilities, now known as The Bunker.

Presidents' Cottage Museum

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Over 26 presidents have been hosted at The Greenbrier.[10] The Presidents' Cottage Museum is a two-story building with exhibits about these visits and the history of The Greenbrier. The building is open seasonally.

The back patio of The Greenbrier.

Golf

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The resort also has a significant place in golf history. The original 9 holes was designed by Alexander H Findlay, Father of American Golf. For the last years of his life, golf legend Sam Snead held the position of the resort's emeritus pro; today, that title is held by the equally legendary Tom Watson. Also, in 1979, The Greenbrier was the site of the first Ryder Cup contested under the current format of United States against Europe. More recently, The Greenbrier hosted the 1994 Solheim Cup, the women's equivalent to the Ryder Cup. This made The Greenbrier the first of only two locations to have hosted both the Ryder and Solheim Cups; it would be joined in 1998 by Muirfield Village near Columbus, Ohio.

Beginning in August of 2010, The Greenbrier will host an annual PGA Tour event called The Greenbrier Classic. The expected purse for the first year exceeds $6 million.

Notes

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  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23.
  2. ^ "The Greenbrier". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  3. ^ "West Virginia Businessman Buys The Greenbrier". The State Journal. Charleston, WV. May 7, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
  4. ^ Hals, Tom (2009-3-19). "Exclusive US resort Greenbrier files Chapter 11". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-4-1. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Justice Family in Greenbrier Deal". Wall Street Journal. May 8, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2009.
  6. ^ "BANKRUPTCY Judge Approves Sale Of Greenbrier Resort". The Washington Post. May 20, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
  7. ^ "Manchin signs Greenbrier gambling bill". Charleston Daily Mail. Charleston, West Virginia. May 11, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
  8. ^ "Greenbrier Resort Owner Acquires Glade Springs". 31 March 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
  9. ^ "Tour The Greenbrier Bunker". PBS Documentary. PBS. Retrieved 2008-06-18.
  10. ^ "Presidents' Cottage Museum". The Greenbrier. Retrieved 2010-01-23.

References

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  • The History of The Greenbrier: America's Resort by Robert Conte

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Greenbrier.


37°47′07″N 80°18′30″W / 37.7854°N 80.3083°W / 37.7854; -80.3083


Category:1858 establishments Category:1913 architecture Category:Classical Revival architecture in West Virginia Category:Disaster preparedness in the United States Category:Federal architecture in West Virginia Category:Golf clubs and courses in West Virginia Category:Greenbrier County, West Virginia Category:Hotels in West Virginia Category:Military and war museums in West Virginia Category:National Historic Landmarks in West Virginia Category:Resorts in the United States Category:Ryder Cup venues Category:Solheim Cup venues Category:United States military hospitals

Category:Museums in Greenbrier County, West Virginia Category:Presidential museums in West Virginia

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