Historical Cottage Spotlight: The Pavillion and President's Cottage

The Pavillion represents the oldest building on the property closest to its original design.  This post is the first in a series highlighting Capon's historical structures....  

The Pavillion:

2015 photo of the Pavillion

This long brick building with round columns was originally known as the Bathing Establishment or the Baths.  The 280-foot expanse of brick has undergone very few changes in its outward appearance since it was built by the state of Virginia around 1850, under the direction of the Watson Town Board of Trustees.

An article in the Washington National Intelligencer dated July 17, 1851 reads: “Its convenient dressing rooms attached, and all the modern improvements of cold, warm, shower and plunge baths, is believed to equal any building of its class in this country or Europe.”

Late 1920s photo of the Pavillion. Note the bath doors and the decorative
railing across the front edge of the Pavillion roof.

Along the colonnade were 32 private baths- 12 for ladies on the lower end and 20 for gentlemen in the upper wing.  Each bath was made of brick and was approximately 4 feet wide by 6 feet long by 5 feet deep.  According to an 1875 brochure, it cost 35 cents for a warm bath and 20 cents for a regular temperature bath (65 degrees).

Early 1930s photo of the interior upper Pavillion bottling operation.

The baths were first owned by the Commonwealth of Virginia and then later by the state of West Virginia.  In 1905, the baths and the spring were sold to the then proprietor Charles Nelson.  In the 1920s and early 1930s, The Capon Water Co., owned by the Atkinson brothers used the upper end as the bottling plant for Capon Springs water, root beer and ginger ale.  A concrete floor was installed to support the weight of the equipment and a steam engine heated the water. The transformation into guest rooms began in the late 1930s.  Around this time, Lou Austin renamed the building, choosing to spell Pavillion with two “Ls”, even though it is most commonly spelled with one. The old entrance to each bath from the front porch can be traced in the brick and mortar work on the front walls of the building.  

The combination of close proximity to all facilities, one level entrances, front and back porches for visiting, sounds of the lawn fountain and recent interior renovations, the Pavillion continues to be one of the most popular location to stay.  In 2016, the front porch was completely replaced and a connecting walkway now joins the entire length of the back porch.

The President’s Cottage:

2015 photo of the President's Cottage

The two-story center section of the Pavillion originally known as the Bath House Cottage, contained parlors, retiring rooms and other conveniences.  The porch was originally framed by four rounded columns instead of the present two, but little else has changed in its outward appearance.  When the upper floor was set aside for the president of the Watson Town Board of Trustees, it became known as the President’s Cottage.  (Records provide one confirmed visit to Capon by a US president: in 1854 Franklin Pierce stayed at the resort.)  After Charles Nelson bought the baths in 1905, it became his private residence.   In the 1920 and 30s, the building served as the home for the families of the hotel superintendent U.S. Anderson and then Dennie Dunlap, Sr. 

Early 1920s photo of the President's Cottage.

In the 1940s, it became the summer residence of the Austin family.  As the next generation married and had children, private cottages were built  for them around the grounds.  The downstairs of the President's cottage was renovated into single rooms for guests, while Lou & Virginia Austin continued to use the upstairs until their deaths in the mid 1970s and 80s.  After serving for several years as the summer quarters for the Bellingham and Brill families, the upstairs rooms were renovated and are now available to guests.

The 5 single rooms downstairs provide a combination of private and shared bath accommodations, while the two 2-room suites upstairs allow large families to spread out. Both the front and back porches were completely reconstructed in 2016.

Have you enjoyed a stay with us in either the Pavillion or President's Cottage?  Were you aware of it's unusual history?