| White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia | |
|---|---|
| — City — | |
| Nickname(s): The Spa City | |
| Location of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Greenbrier |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.0 sq mi (5.1 km2) |
| • Land | 2.0 sq mi (5.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,857 ft (566 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,513 |
| • Density | 1,179.5/sq mi (455.4/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 24986 |
| Area code(s) | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-86812[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1555971[2] |
White Sulphur Springs is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,444 at the 2010 census.
Contents |
White Sulphur Springs is located at (37.793975, -80.303538)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.0 square miles (5.1 km²), all of it land.
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 2,315 people, 1,127 households, and 648 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,179.5 people per square mile (456.0/km²). There were 1,354 housing units at an average density of 689.9 per square mile (266.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 82.55% White, 14.95% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.26% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.04% of the population.
There were 1,127 households out of which 21.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.7% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.5% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.72.
The age distribution was 19.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 82.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,694, and the median income for a family was $35,450. Males had a median income of $28,566 versus $19,868 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,822. About 15.7% of families and 17.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to White Sulphur Springs under the Cardinal route.
The Alleghany Subdivision of the main line of the former Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad (now part of CSX) runs through White Sulphur Springs. At one time in its history it was part of the limestone flux cargo route from Hinton, West Virginia to Clifton Forge. Its affectionate nickname was "The Gravel Gertie" after the Dick Tracy character.
White Sulphur Springs is serviced by Interstate 64 and U.S. 60.
White Sulphur Springs grew in the first half of the nineteenth century as the southern "Queen of the Watering Places". The springs resort first became the standard summer destination for wealthy Virginia low-country residents seeking reprieve from heat, humidity, and disease. As its popularity increased and it gained status as a socially exclusive site, the spring attracted elite guests from all areas of the South.
The resort, now known as The Greenbrier, remains one of the country's most luxurious and exclusive resorts. For many years, Sam Snead was the resort's golf pro. The resort has another significant place in golf history; in 1979, it hosted the first Ryder Cup to feature the current competitive setup of the United States and European sides. Indeed golf in the United States began near White Sulphur Springs when the Montague family founded Oakhurst Links in 1884, making it the oldest organized golf club in the country.
In 1992 the Washington Post revealed that the resort had been the site of a "bunker", the Emergency Relocation Center, which was intended to house and protect the U.S. Congress in the event of a nuclear attack during the Cold War.[4]
White Sulphur Springs only radio station, WSLW, is licensed to "White Sulphur Spring", West Virginia in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) database.
America's first golf course was opened in 1884 in White Sulphur Springs and is called Oakhurst Links. This is a Hickory Golf course in the pre-1900 style. Visitors to Oakhurst Links play the course just as golfers did in 1884. Golf at Oakhurst is played with replica 19th-century long-nose, hickory-shafted clubs and gutta percha "guttie" balls, (made in St. Andrews Scotland exclusively for Oakhurst) hit from sand tees.[5] The US National Hickory Championship tournament is held at Oakhurst annually in June.
In 1987 the White Sulphur Springs Library was rebuilt from the old community house. Currently the Library is returning to its roots as an educational resource and one of the hearts of the town.[6]
The town is featured as an US Army Center of Operations in the book "Worldwar: In the Balance", by Harry Turtledove