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Companion YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUqCwo2by14
Almost Heaven, West Virginia. John Denver got it right in the 1971 song. West Virginia is, in the words of my friend Terry, "hauntingly beautiful". Denver's song is a symbol of West Virginia (and one you may be humming the rest of the day, you're welcome), and is one of four official state anthems, and in 2023 was selected by the Library of Congress for inclusion in the National Recording Registry.
So what could a song have to do with a costume retreat for vintage and historical costumers? Let's go back in time.....a long time....
About 480 million years ago, just a blip in earth's 4 billion year history, the collision of several continental plates formed a mountain range. The elevations were similar to our Alps and Rocky Mountains but have eroded naturally and softly to the range we have today.
The mountain range was probably named from a 1528 exploration discovering a Native American tribe who name is transcribed as Apalchen or Apalachen. That is the fourth oldest surviving European place-name in the United States.
The Appalachian Mountains and the Great Appalachian Valley extend 2,000 miles. Their average peak is now 3,000 feet.
The highest mountain, Mount Mitchell, is in my state of North Carolina. It is 6,684' and is the highest point in the United States east of the Mississippi River. It's Cherokee name is Attakulla.
As the colonists settled the eastern seaboard of North America bringing their culture, customs, and children, expansion was hindered by this mountain range. Our history is full of trials and tragedies as the colonists in the east pushed west. In the early 19th century historian, diplomat, and biographer Washington Irving proposed renaming the United States Appalachia. A testament to the impact the mountain range had the life in that time.
Different portions of the Appalachians have different names. The portion I'm focusing on is the Allegheny Mountains, also called the Alleghenies. They stretch 500 miles from north central Pennsylvania to southwest Virginia and posed a significant barrier to land travel in the time of expansion.
By 1740 the European-American settlers had moved into what had been the hunting grounds of the Shawnee and Cherokee nations. The Native Americans called this land Can-tuc-kee. Much of that land is now the Monongahela National Forest, the Jefferson Forest, and the George Washionton Forest. In 1778 Greenbrier County was formed and is within the National Radio Quiet Zone, something I will explain later.
The United States today and the Almost Heaven State of West Virginia.
And in the State of West Virginia, Greenbrier County.
There are many named mountains in that area and now we'll focus on the area at Kate's Mountain. Kate was a courageous woman who hid herself and her baby during early struggles between the colonists and the Native Americans over the land. Kate's Mountain was my view on the day I arrived to continue my research into planning a costumer's retreat in West Virginia.
Planning a Costume Event
I've shared with you the multi-day costume events I've organized in the past and wasn't planning to organize another until the day I learned of The Greenbrier in West Virginia. I had attended the Somewhere in Time event at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan and watched a documentary about the Dorothy Draper Company and the interior design creations of both Dorothy Draper and her employee, Carlton Varney. The Greenbrier had been another project of Draper's. The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia is just 199 miles from my tiny farmhouse in North Carolina. How had I not heard of this place? But as it turns out it is a well kept secret and I've only met one other person in the costuming community who has been there but a group of costuming friends are interested in a retreat so it is time for me to research....
The research began with this beautifully written book by Dr. Robert Conte, historian of The Greenbrier.
As the name White Sulphur Springs implies, a spring of sulphur water is the center and and also the beginning of the recorded history of this 11,000 acre property. Beginning in 1778 a local pioneer followed the Native American tradition of "taking the waters" for health benefits. In 1835 the Spring House was built around the spring.
The property was acquired by a prominent family and they developed the large property as a resort, selling cottages, many of which stand today, to families who wanted to travel there in the summer escaping the coastal heat.
The President's Cottage, built in 1835, housed 28 President's throughout the 19th century and since 1932 has served as an historical museum.
Around 1855 a hotel was built to accommodate the ever-increasing numbers of travelers from the coast, the north, and the south. The Grand Central Hotel became known as The White and later as The Old White. The hotel served as headquarters and hospital to both sides during the American Civil War.
In 1910 The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway purchased the property. The British-born American architect Frederick Julius Sterner designed a 250 room, six-story building which is the central wing of today's hotel. On September 25, 1913, what had been a summer establishment open as a year-round resort named The Greenbrier after the neighboring county. The historic Old White Hotel structure was demolished in 1922 and in 1931 a new structure crossing the 1913 structure like a T nearly doubled the size of the hotel.
Although the C&O Railroad was instrumental in the formation of The Greenbrier, they were most instrumental in forming this part of the United States as they continually built lines and found ways to transport and house travelers. Do you recognize Chessie, The Sleeping Kitten from their 1930s campaign for their sleeper cars?
On September 1, 1942, the U.S. Army purchased and converted the resort to a 2,000-bed hospital known as Ashford General Hospital. The hospital treated nearly 25,000 patients. It closed in June 1946 and the property sold back to the C&O railroad.
The C&O Railroad had introduced the game of golf at The Greenbrier in 1910 and through the years there have been incredible expansion throughout the beautiful property.
But as you can well imagine The Greenbrier interior had changed drastically during the years it was a hospital. After the Army's departure The Greenbrier sat empty and for six long months until President Truman signed a bill allowing former owners first priority in purchasing surplus military property.
In December 1946 the C&O Railroad again owned The Greenbrier who immediately hired internationally known interior designer Dorothy Draper to completely restore and redecorate the hotel.
From The History of The Greenbrier:
"Dorothy Draper's first visit to White Sulphur Springs was an eerie experience according to the notes of one who accompanied her on that soggy, gray day in December, 1946. As a limousine brought them from the train station to The Greenbrier, the hotel appeared 'almost ghostlike in the whispy veils of ground fog which shrouded its approaches'. Under the columns of the North Portico, Dorothy Draper and her assistants were met by a single employee who, with the aid of a flashlight (the electrical power was sut off), led them 'into the somber darkness of the entryway and up to a vast unfurnished lobby floor, where in silent emptiness a forest of naked columns stood at attention'. The decorating team immediately began inspecting the hotel, starting on the top floor and working their way down. Within hours, having opened the heavy doors of every room and closet to see what might remain for her use, Mrs. Draper had chosen a comprehensive theme for her redecoration of The Greenbrier -- "Romance and Rhododendrons" -- a theme that combined her vision of White Sulphur's romantic past and her attraction to the rhododendron, West Virginia's state flower.
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The project took two years and The Greenbrier's reopening on April 15, 1948 was an international social event. The Duke of Windsor and his wife, Wallis Simpson (who had spent her honeymoon with her first husband at The Greenbrier in 1916) were two of the many notable attendees.
In the late 1950s the United States government approached The Greenbrier for assistance in creating a secret emergency relocation center to house Congress in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust. Code name: Project Greek Island. The concrete and fully functioning and supplied bunker could house 1100 people for 60 days. It was built in conjunction with an above-ground addition to the hotel from 1959 to 1962. In 1992 a reporter with The Washington Post reported the story and the bunker was decommissioned.
Since the late 20th century, the resort has hosted several more presidents and vice-presidents and foreign dignitaries. It has been host to several international meetings. It has had a significant place in golf history with four golf courses and hosting PGA and LIV events. It is home to a 2,500 seat tennis stadium. The 11,000 acre property offers an assortment of 55 activities on any day.
The Greenbrier is on the US National Register of Historic Places and the US National Historic Landmark District. With all of that history and activity it seemed a perfect setting for a vintage and historical costumer's retreat. I made reservations, put Tasha Puppy with our friend Karen at Fairwinds Pet Boarding, and headed to West Virginia on those curvy mountain roads.
At the entrance gate I receive my Guest Pass and now have access to 11,000 acres of beauty and enjoyment!
Leaving my bags with the bellman, I take the stairs to the Lower Lobby reception areas where I am offered my choice of champagne or water. Which do you think I took? *wink*
Everywhere I turn I'm in awe of the beauty of this hotel. Even the carpet at my elevator area is stunning.
In the events I've organized in the past I've been so fortunate to have a member of the venue staff working with me. Although I've had the pleasure of working with Emily since late 2022, she surprises me with a thoughtful gift waiting in my sitting room.
Red velvet cookies and a journal from Dorothy Draper Home! What could me more perfect?
And my sitting room overlooks the North Entrance gardens and riding ring.
The sitting room is decorated with Dorothy Draper wallpaper and fabrics and the details are so beautiful!
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If you too love Akakina II wallpaper....
The companion YouTube video to this blog post has bits of video from this site visit but here are some photos of the bedroom and bath.
And if you love Dorothy Draper Les Fleures de Toulon.....
It was the end of a long day and we had not made plans or reservations for dinner. There are so many choices for dining at The Greenbrier but we decided to relax with a pizza in our beautiful sitting room. Even the pizza box and lining were detailed and the Hawaiian pizza from The Forum was delicious!
The Draper Cafe was at the top of my list for lunch the next day and it did not disappoint. We are looking to have a Draper Day there dressed in 1940s abd 1950s for the event in 2024. The interior, the staff, and the food were all fabulous and fun!
The majority of this day was spent with staff at The Greenbrier reviewing the spaces, restaurants, and activities available for the 2024 event.
This full tour of the hotel gave me a chance to capture photos of the elegance of the areas and I'll share those here in no particular order.
Breakfast and dinner since 1913.
The Bunker tour was also on my list. So while cameras and phones were left in rooms or locked away, I did manage these few of the blast door inside the hotel. The door is well concealed by folding partitions when closed and the original wallpaper was made to be uncomfortable to encourage wanderers to leave the area. The tour is extremely interesting and worth the 90 minutes.
Although the day was packed I had to make a quick visit to the Dorothy Draper Home store to pick up a book and some Carleton Varney designed socks.
Before I leave The Greenbrier there is one last stop, The Candymaker!
And who wouldn't love a selection of chocolate coins dedicated to The Greenbrier Springhouse?
Although I could stay on The Greenbrier for days and never see it all, it is time to leave and head north to Cass, West Virginia. The history of this town goes back to 1901and the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company. The mountains provided the spruce and hemlock for the sawmill in Cass which produced an estimated 1.25 billion board feet of lumber during its lifetime. The railroad and the locomotives specifically designed to climb the mountains, and the workers who lived in the company houses, worked tirelessly until 1960 when the first and second growth timber was harvested out and the timber industry declined.
While the sawmill is just a shell, the Shay locomotives have been restored, and the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park holds the Depot, the Company Store, and the Company Houses.
The Cass to Durbin line only reopened a month ago after the devastating flood that took years to repair. This line has the longest route with a turnaround in Durbin with lunch included and enclosed passenger cars. It seems like a trip that costumed attendees would enjoy so I've reserved seats to check it out. I'm in Shay #4 and a Western Maryland Railway Coach, #835, built by the Pullman Co. in 1917.
The Greenbrier Express is a 30-mile round-trip from Cass to the mountain town of Durbin and back. The tracks closely follow the meandering river where abundant wildlife can be seen from your high-back plush seat in #835. The Durbin Depot is one of four places where a light lunch awaits all passengers with time to stop in the local stores and I just had to have a strawberry ice cream cone at Rail and Trail. Here I'm wearing my 1930s Katherine Hepburn trousers with suspenders, an Elsa Schiaparelli designed silk tie, and an incredible vest from a 1930s vintage pattern beautifully knit by my friend, Maike of Engineering Knits on YouTube.
Special Break for Maike's Vest
If you follow Maike on her YouTube Channel, Engineering Knits, you already know how talented she is. And not just knitting! So many textile arts and I absolutely love her sewing companion! I'll share a link.
We discussed colors and Maike sent samples which were designed to coordinate with trousers, jodhpurs, split skirt, and a fabulous tie I had found on Etsy.
Maike created the most stunning vest! Sadly I wasn't able to wear it for the intended event, but happily I will be on that event later this year. But you have seen I just couldn't wait to wear it on the Cass to Durbin steam train adventure. Thank you so much, Maike! You will be seeing this vest again! I love it!!
Other pieces I've made which you catch a glimpse of here - the velveteen trousers from a Wearing History pattern, and the split skirt and parachute silk blouse from Lady Marlowe patterns - are part of the full 1930s wardrobe which I'm also slowing writing the blog posts and creating videos about. The brocade suspenders were found on Etsy and I'm in love with them too!
The day for the train adventure during the event is planned for 1900s and 1910s costume, the time when both the railroad and The Greenbrier were in full expansion mode.
Back to the Cass Railroad Adventure
As I mentioned before, the Companion YouTube video for this blog post has more of the train trip and time back at the Cass Depot.
A pin to add to my newly started collection of train trips.
Since tomorrow's adventure is just minutes away, we have reserved a Cass Company House for the night. 224 Main Street. A three-bedroom, one bath, home with living room, dining room, fully furnished kitchen, and West Virginia coffee. A family in the early 20th century would be very much at home here with many neighbors in similar homes.
Although The Greenbrier site visit and Cass Scenic Railroad experience was complete, there was one more adventure I wanted in the mountains of West Virginia - The Green Bank Observatory. It is just a 10 minute ride there but be sure to have your directions written down as it is the National Radio Quiet Zone. No cell service, no internet, and the locals in Green Bank are not allowed microwave ovens. The transportation within the GBO is diesel-powered as spark plugs interfere with reception. It was buzzing with excitement the day we were there as the 15-year data collection results were released confirming Einstein's 1915 prediction of gravitational waves. "Scientists 'hear' ripples in the fabric of our Universe" was the headline. It was an exciting day to take a bus tour and see the multiple dishes as well as the Green Bank Telescope. As digital cameras were not allowed within the gates, the only photos I have were from an approved observation deck.
An incredible few days! And now everyone is glad to be home!
As I write this blog post and begin editing the video, I'm working with staff at The Greenbrier and the Cass Scenic Railroad for the 2024 event. Many of the group already interested in attending will be traveling quite a distance and it's wonderful that The Greenbrier is easily accessible by train and plane as well as car. The event is scheduled to be over three days with an additional early arrival day and begin with vintage eras for easy costuming and packing, and end with historical and a Costumer's Choice day. Our evenings will be in the same eras as tge day activities. There are some activities being arranged for all after a poll was taken by those interested, and time allowed for attendees to have their own personal adventures.
I hope you enjoyed this little trip to Almost Heaven! Thank you for being here!
Love,
Jeanette
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