Cheers! This gem of a hotel pool has special significance to me. For one, it’s gorgeous. I mean, look at it! The columns, the tiny tiles, the Dorothy Draper touches. For those of you unfamiliar with her work, Draper was an interior designer in the mid-20th century who brought bold colors, bright patterns, and luxurious, opulent fabrics and furniture to her projects. In a nutshell, her renovations make me feel warm and happy. 

The resort itself is a treasure. The Greenbrier, a National Historic Landmark, is located in White Sulphur Springs, the heart of West Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains. Originating in 1778 as a remote respite for those seeking health and restoration from the local mineral springs, it has gone through expansions and renovations, growing in both character and luxury to become the elegant world class resort that it is today. 

But not without drama and intrigue! During the Cold War, the Greenbrier became the secret hideaway for the U.S. Congress if a nuclear war would happen! How, you might ask? Like magicians disguise their actions and distract us from their real intent, construction of the obvious – a public Exhibition Wing – concealed the construction of the underground objective – the Congressional fallout shelter. Our Greenbrier tour guide described it as “hiding in plain sight.” For 30 years, the clandestine location remained classified and ready for immediate use, until a Washington Post reporter broke the story in 1992. 

FIN FACT: No photography is permitted in or entering the bunker, so here is a link! https://www.greenbrier.com/activities/bunker-tours/

I digress, but I love both swimming and history, so the two are connected for me!

And now, on to the gorgeous Greenbrier indoor pool!

While the Catalina Pool was finished just a year after the Arizona Biltmore opened (see previous post), this pool was built during a significant and vital renovation. By 1910, the stately main building “Old White,” completed in 1858, was looking a little too much like its nickname, so execs at the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad decided that their newly acquired resort needed updates. But why stop at electric lights, indoor bathrooms, a golf course, and a paint job when you’re backed by J.P. Morgan and the Vanderbilts? How about piping those famous healing mineral waters through a gorgeous state-of-the-art bathhouse like the ones in Europe? Harris and Richards, a well-respected, posh Philadelphia architectural and engineering firm, delivered exactly that.

Inside that bathhouse is the pool. At 100 feet by 42 feet, it was one of the world’s largest indoor pools upon completion in 1912. And with 904,192 hand-laid tiles, it is a true work of art.    

Thus, I chose this exquisite pool to complete my 2019 swimming goal. On January 2 of that year, while swimming laps in the pre-dawn darkness of my regular aquatic facility, I committed to swim 365 miles in 12 months. A mile a day may not seem like much to many distance swimmers, and I often swim two miles or more when time permits. However, with a full-time job, full-time kids (because there’s never a break from parenting), and older parents down the street, I was more than a bit stretched. Add to those commitments the occasional vacation and illness, and that mileage goal became even more difficult. But I did it! Seven weeks early at that! In response to my husband’s lighthearted dare, I had doubled my weekly yardage in October so I could finish on my 48th birthday in this fabulous historic hotel! Exhausting but well worth it! What a place to celebrate! Upon arrival, a staff member will give you a glass of champagne. I saved mine for after the swim, dropping bags in the room and dashing right to the pool! 

Detroit Publishing Company. The New Greenbrier, swimming pool, White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Created between 1900 and 1910. Date accessed: 30 December 2023. Archived in the Library of Congress Archives at https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2016813696/ . LCCN permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/2016813696 . Public domain.

As I swam, images of famous guests and their antics came to mind. Vanderbilt children playing in the pool and on the grounds. Edward VIII, Prince of Wales, doing flips off the now-removed diving boards into the 9-foot deep end. Golfer Babe Didrickson escaping a New Years party to take a secret midnight swim. Olympic champions Johnny Weissmuller and the lesser-known but in my opinion, equally impressive Martha Norelius training in that very pool. 

FIN FACT: Johnny Weissmuller, as many know, won five Olympic golds, set 67 world records, and starred in Tarzan movies.

Martha Norelius, a Swedish American trained by her Olympian father, also had significant accomplishments. She was the first female swimmer to win gold in two Olympic Games. In 1924, as a 15-year-old, she crushed the competition in the 400 meter freestyle and then did it again in 1928. Even now, Norelius is the only woman to win back to back Olympic golds in that event. (Katie Ledecky came close, winning in 2016, but losing by 0.67 seconds to Ariarne Titmus in 2021.)

Moreover, in one single summer (1927), Norelius set a staggering 29 world records, and for eight years, she was the world’s fastest female swimmer at any distance! Never intimidated by the guys, Norelius was the first woman to train with them, and she learned her training partner Weissmuller’s techniques. That high head position, arched back, and strong six beat kick obviously worked well for her! 

So did her charm. Norelius was the belle of the ball at the Greenbrier; the public loved her, and she became the most publicized female swimmer of the era.

Then I thought of the hotel’s conversion to a containment facility for Axis country diplomats and their families from 1941 to 1942 and then to a US Army hospital from 1943 to 1946. I have read about those families enjoying the pool, and I hope that they and the soldiers found peace there.

In 1948, the hotel reopened to the public, completely renovated under the creative direction of my favorite historic designer, Dorothy Draper. Large undertaking is an understatement here. Try installing 15,000 wallpaper rolls, 30 miles of carpeting, and 45,000 yards of fabric! She was so pressed for time that she and her team apparently scrambled out the back of the Presidential Suite as the first guests arrived: The Duke and Duchess of Windsor!

FIN FACT: Twenty-seven US Presidents have spent time at the Greenbrier! I like to imagine their children and grandchildren running around the campus, just as mine did with my nieces. 

Anyway, back to swimming. There is a lovely 7,000-square-foot, heated outdoor pool, which I did not get to swimple (swim + sample lol) during my November visit. It was built in 1956, and with its curved walls and beach entry, the outdoor pool is more suited for families and play than laps. Nevertheless, guests in those lounge chairs have a beautiful view of the mountains while they dine on undoubtedly delicious fare from the poolside cafe.

So there you have it, my review of the Greenbrier indoor pool, which gets an A+ in my book. A definite must-go destination for swimmers who love beautiful, unique, historic pools, and a return destination for me. 

But wait, there’s more! This resort has so many activities; there’s something for everyone in your group! You can tour the bunker like I did with my family. Also, I alluded to golf above, and indeed there are four gorgeous golf courses. Parents, you can hire a hotel babysitter for date night! My family did exactly that so we adults could dress up and savor a gourmet meal in the formal dining room. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that all the restaurants here are exquisite. Along those lines, my daughter, the synchronized swimmer and chef-to-be, is begging to return not only to swim, but also to attend the hotel’s culinary academy! 

A few of the numerous other activities include tennis, horseback riding, archery, falconry, fishing, bowling, kayaking, mountain biking. You also can relax at the spa, savor freshly made ice cream, munch on popcorn at the in-house theater, shop ’til you drop, go on a sleigh ride, try your luck at the casino, test your skill on an adventure course, and check the website for all the other options! Trust me, you’ll be entertained for days. The downside of all of this is the price, of course, but our long-anticipated and well-planned trip was worth it. So please investigate for yourselves and go if you can.