By Sarah Richardson
After months of hard work and significant fundraising, the Friends of the Blue announced last month that the Blue Sulphur Springs Pavilion is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with its extensive restoration.
“The Friends of the Blue and everyone who appreciates the Blue Sulphur Springs Pavilion have much to be thankful for this year – a great architect firm, The Mills Group; a great contractor, Schleiff Construction (and others before them); support from the State Historic Preservation Office, Curator Randall Reid-Smith and Deputy Director Susan Pierce; incredible donors including the James F. B. Peyton Foundation and so many of you; and the steadfast guidance of the Greenbrier Historical Society (GHS). We are almost there!” announced the Friends of the Blue via social media on Nov. 18.
They explained that representatives recently met at The Blue to discuss some “punch list” items, which will be taken care of, and said that the flooring and spring box work will not resume until mid-December due to material delivery problems.
The Friends explain, “The next phase of this contract will create a new surround for the spring box and install an 8 x 8 brick paver floor. (We found old 8 x 8 bricks in the debris we excavated from inside the pavilion so believe they formed the original floor.) The spring will be covered with a “grate” to keep animals and others from falling in when the area is not supervised. During events, the grate can be removed and the spring exposed like it used to be. We do not yet know if the water will be safe to drink. When all the construction work and disturbances are over, we will ask the Greenbrier County Health Department to test the water and we will let you know the result.”
Despite much of the major work being completed, funding is still needed for finishing touches such as signage.
“We are still in need of funding for additional drainage and informational signage. If you can make a contribution to these projects and/or ongoing maintenance, please send your tax deductible check to The Greenbrier Historical Society at 814 Washington Street, West, Lewisburg, WV 24901. GHS is the organization which received Mrs. Rebecca Lineberry’s donation of the Blue and its two acres and owns it still. Without GHS, none of the restoration would have happened.”
