Grove Park Inn
Encyclopedia
The Grove Park Inn is a historic resort hotel on the western-facing slope of Sunset Mountain within the Blue Ridge Mountains
, in Asheville, North Carolina
. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, the hotel is an important example of the Arts and Crafts
style. It also features a $44 million, 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²), modern subterranean spa, which placed #13 worldwide in Travel + Leisure
' s World's Best Hotel Spas in 2008. It is owned by Sammons Enterprises.
(1850–1927) with the help of his son-in-law Fred Loring Seely
(1871–1942). Seely was married to Evelyn Grove. She was from Grove's first marriage to Mary Louisa (Lou) Moore Grove.
Grove owned Paris Medicine Company. Originally based in Paris, Tennessee
., the firm was moved to St. Louis.
Its primary money making product was Grove's Chill Tonic which was a tasty syrup elixir containing quinine. This formula would help tame the raging chills brought on by malaria. At one time the number of bottles of Chill Tonic outsold bottles of a famous brand of Cola. He believed the climate of Asheville, North Carolina would have health benefits and be the ideal location for a resort. His doctors sent him there to determine if the climate would help reduce or cure his bouts with extreme hiccups. The hiccups would last several weeks at a time.
E.W. Grove began to accumulate the land for the Inn and his Grove Park-Kimberely Avenue developments in 1910. He bought several farms and sloped areas all the way to the top of Sunset Mountain.
Construction began in 1912 and was completed in an amazing 11 months and 27 days. This was accomplished by paying high wages to the dedicated workers. Circus tents were erected on the job site to house the workers.
The Inn opened July 12, 1913. The hotel was outfitted with furnishings from the Roycrofters of East Aurora, New York
, one of the most important designers and manufacturers of Arts and Crafts furniture, metal work and other accessories. The hotel was built of rough granite stones and the expansive lobby is noted for its enormous granite fireplaces and expansive porch with its scenic overlook.
During World War II
, the Inn was used first as an internment center for Axis diplomats. The diplomats and their staff were allowed guarded trips to town where they would purchase goods from the local merchants. This was a boon to the strapped local economy. The Inn was then used by the Navy as a rest and rehabilitation center for returning sailors. In 1944-45, the hotel was an Army Redistribution Station where soldiers rested and relaxed before being assigned to other duties. The Philippine Government functioned in exile from the Presidential Cottage on the grounds during the war.
The Grove Park Inn became part of Sammons Enterprises in 1955. The resort has been expanded over the years under the direction of the owners Mr. and Mrs. Sammons and continues to be a popular tourist attraction. Though pets are prohibited at the Inn, Mrs. Sammons would bring her dog in under cover in a baby carriage. Mrs. Sammons died in 2008.
The Grove Park Inn has accumulated a significant collection of Arts and Crafts decorative items and hosts an important Arts and Crafts conference once a year.
(who spoke at the hotel's opening), Thomas Edison
, Henry Ford
, Harvey Firestone
, Elbert Hubbard
, Woodrow Wilson
, John D. Rockefeller
, Gen. John J. Pershing
, Dean Smith, Jerry Seinfeld, Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, John Waters, David & Amy Sedaris, Mischa Barton, Mike Huckabee, current NC Governor Bev Perdue, Sanjay Gupta, Trey Anastasio, Charles Schwab
, William Howard Taft
, Franklin D. Roosevelt
, Herbert Hoover
, Dwight Eisenhower, Enrico Caruso, Harry Houdini
, Al Jolson
, F. Scott Fitzgerald
, Bobby Jones
, Wiley Post
, Will Rogers
, Bill Tilden
, Billy Graham
, Barack Obama
, William Shatner
, Don Cheadle
, Vijay Kansupada, and many others.
On February 3, 1930 William Howard Taft resigned from the US Supreme Court in the Great Hall Lobby.
In 1999, gospel artist Bill Gaither recorded "Mountain Homecoming" in his series of Gaither Homecoming
videos and CDs in the Great Hall lobby including artists Gloria Gaither
, Mark Lowry
, Larry Gatlin
, the Bishops, Stephen Hill, Joy Gardner, and Ben Isaacs.
In January 2008, the mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick
, stayed at the resort with a woman that was not his wife. Kilpatrick, and the woman who called herself Carmen Slowsky received a couples massage session described on the resort's website as "incredibly romantic." This event added to a brewing scandal involving past infidelity, perjury, and the misuse of public funds that would break two days after the pair left the resort.
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
, in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, the hotel is an important example of the Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
style. It also features a $44 million, 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²), modern subterranean spa, which placed #13 worldwide in Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure
Travel + Leisure is a travel magazine based in New York City, New York. Published 12 times a year, it has 4.8 million readers, according to its corporate media kit. It is put out by American Express Publishing Corporation, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Express Company led by...
History
The Grove Park Inn was conceptualized by Edwin Wiley GroveEdwin Wiley Grove
Edwin Wiley Grove was a self-made millionaire most famous for his "Grove's Tasteless Chill Tonic." In this chill tonic, which came out 1878, Grove found a way to bottle a quinine mixture that would eliminate the bitter taste...
(1850–1927) with the help of his son-in-law Fred Loring Seely
Fred Loring Seely
Fred Loring Seely was a newspaperman, chemist, inventor and philanthropist.Born to Uriah and Nancy Hopping Seely, in Monmouth, New Jersey, Fred Seely first worked for the Parke-Davis pharmaceutical company and later became an executive for his father-in-law Edwin Wiley Grove's "Paris Medicine...
(1871–1942). Seely was married to Evelyn Grove. She was from Grove's first marriage to Mary Louisa (Lou) Moore Grove.
Grove owned Paris Medicine Company. Originally based in Paris, Tennessee
Paris, Tennessee
Paris is a city in Henry County, Tennessee, United States, west of Nashville, on a fork of the West Sandy River. In 1900, 2,018 people lived in Paris, Tennessee; in 1910, 3,881; and in 1940, 6,395. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 9,763. It is the county seat of Henry...
., the firm was moved to St. Louis.
Its primary money making product was Grove's Chill Tonic which was a tasty syrup elixir containing quinine. This formula would help tame the raging chills brought on by malaria. At one time the number of bottles of Chill Tonic outsold bottles of a famous brand of Cola. He believed the climate of Asheville, North Carolina would have health benefits and be the ideal location for a resort. His doctors sent him there to determine if the climate would help reduce or cure his bouts with extreme hiccups. The hiccups would last several weeks at a time.
E.W. Grove began to accumulate the land for the Inn and his Grove Park-Kimberely Avenue developments in 1910. He bought several farms and sloped areas all the way to the top of Sunset Mountain.
Construction began in 1912 and was completed in an amazing 11 months and 27 days. This was accomplished by paying high wages to the dedicated workers. Circus tents were erected on the job site to house the workers.
The Inn opened July 12, 1913. The hotel was outfitted with furnishings from the Roycrofters of East Aurora, New York
East Aurora, New York
East Aurora is a village in Erie County, New York, United States, southeast of Buffalo. The Village of East Aurora lies in the eastern half of the Town of Aurora.The population was 6,673 at the 2000 census...
, one of the most important designers and manufacturers of Arts and Crafts furniture, metal work and other accessories. The hotel was built of rough granite stones and the expansive lobby is noted for its enormous granite fireplaces and expansive porch with its scenic overlook.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Inn was used first as an internment center for Axis diplomats. The diplomats and their staff were allowed guarded trips to town where they would purchase goods from the local merchants. This was a boon to the strapped local economy. The Inn was then used by the Navy as a rest and rehabilitation center for returning sailors. In 1944-45, the hotel was an Army Redistribution Station where soldiers rested and relaxed before being assigned to other duties. The Philippine Government functioned in exile from the Presidential Cottage on the grounds during the war.
The Grove Park Inn became part of Sammons Enterprises in 1955. The resort has been expanded over the years under the direction of the owners Mr. and Mrs. Sammons and continues to be a popular tourist attraction. Though pets are prohibited at the Inn, Mrs. Sammons would bring her dog in under cover in a baby carriage. Mrs. Sammons died in 2008.
The Grove Park Inn has accumulated a significant collection of Arts and Crafts decorative items and hosts an important Arts and Crafts conference once a year.
Golf course
The golf club at the Grove Park Inn predates the hotel. It first opened for play in 1899, and was redesigned in 1924 by Donald Ross. Now owned by the resort, the par-70 course is a member club that is also open to the public and guests.Famous guests
The hotel has hosted numerous celebrities over the years including William Jennings BryanWilliam Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
(who spoke at the hotel's opening), Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
, Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
, Harvey Firestone
Harvey Firestone
Harvey Samuel Firestone was an American businessman, and the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, one of the first global makers of automobile tires.-Family background:...
, Elbert Hubbard
Elbert Hubbard
Elbert Green Hubbard was an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher. Raised in Hudson, Illinois, he met early success as a traveling salesman with the Larkin soap company. Today Hubbard is mostly known as the founder of the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York, an...
, Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
, John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
, Gen. John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
, Dean Smith, Jerry Seinfeld, Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys, John Waters, David & Amy Sedaris, Mischa Barton, Mike Huckabee, current NC Governor Bev Perdue, Sanjay Gupta, Trey Anastasio, Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab
Charles Schwab may refer to:*Charles M. Schwab , American steel magnate*Charles R. Schwab , founder of the eponymous brokerage*Charles Schwab Corp., an American based brokerage firm...
, William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States and later the tenth Chief Justice of the United States...
, Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
, Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
, Dwight Eisenhower, Enrico Caruso, Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini
Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American magician and escapologist, stunt performer, actor and film producer noted for his sensational escape acts...
, Al Jolson
Al Jolson
Al Jolson was an American singer, comedian and actor. In his heyday, he was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer"....
, F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
, Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
, Wiley Post
Wiley Post
Wiley Hardeman Post was a famed American aviator, the first pilot to fly solo around the world. Also known for his work in high altitude flying, Post helped develop one of the first pressure suits. His Lockheed Vega aircraft, the Winnie Mae, was on display at the National Air and Space Museum's...
, Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
, Bill Tilden
Bill Tilden
William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of...
, Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
, Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, William Shatner
William Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
, Don Cheadle
Don Cheadle
Donald Frank "Don" Cheadle, Jr. is an American film actor and producer. Cheadle rose to prominence in the late 1990s and the early 2000s for his supporting roles in the Steven Soderbergh-directed films Out of Sight, Traffic, and Ocean's Eleven...
, Vijay Kansupada, and many others.
On February 3, 1930 William Howard Taft resigned from the US Supreme Court in the Great Hall Lobby.
In 1999, gospel artist Bill Gaither recorded "Mountain Homecoming" in his series of Gaither Homecoming
Gaither Homecoming
Gaither Homecoming is the name applied to a series of videos, music recordings and concerts, which are organized, promoted and usually presented by Christian music songwriter and impresario Bill Gaither...
videos and CDs in the Great Hall lobby including artists Gloria Gaither
Gloria Gaither
Gloria Gaither is a Christian songwriter, author, speaker, editor, and academic. She is the wife of Bill Gaither and also sang in the Bill Gaither Trio, one of the most influential groups in recent Christian music.-Early Years:...
, Mark Lowry
Mark Lowry
Mark Alan Lowry is a Christian comedian, songwriter, and singer, best known for co-writing the song “Mary, Did You Know?”. Lowry performed with the Gaither Vocal Band from 1988–2001 and, in January 2009, he re-joined the group along with other "GVB" alumni Michael English and David Phelps...
, Larry Gatlin
Larry Gatlin
Larry Wayne Gatlin is an American country music singer/songwriter. He is perhaps best known for teaming up with his brothers Steve and Rudy in the late 1970s, becoming one of country music's most successful acts of the 1970s and 1980s. Gatlin has had a total of 33 Top 40 singles...
, the Bishops, Stephen Hill, Joy Gardner, and Ben Isaacs.
In January 2008, the mayor of Detroit, Kwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Kilpatrick
Kwame Malik Kilpatrick is a former mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Kilpatrick's mayorship was plagued by numerous scandals and rampant accusations of corruption, with the mayor eventually resigning after being charged with ten felony counts, including perjury and obstruction of justice...
, stayed at the resort with a woman that was not his wife. Kilpatrick, and the woman who called herself Carmen Slowsky received a couples massage session described on the resort's website as "incredibly romantic." This event added to a brewing scandal involving past infidelity, perjury, and the misuse of public funds that would break two days after the pair left the resort.
Sources
- The Grove Park Inn Story, 1984
- Johnson, Bruce E. Built for the Ages: A History of the Grove Park Inn, Grove Park Inn and Country Club: Asheville, NC, 1991
External links
- The Grove Park Inn Spa & Resort official website
- Learn more about the Living at the Grove Park Inn
- UNC Historic Photos of the Grove Park Inn
- Photos from the 2001 Grove Park Inn Arts & Crafts Conference
- Visitor Information for the Grove Park Inn Resort
- Asheville, North Carolina, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary