Warning: Lots of verbiage. I find the history of these places fascinating. If you don't, sail on by.
Second day at the farm we headed into Eureka Springs for lunch and a quick look-see. It may need further investigation in the future. As we drove in this young man beckoned, so we had to stop and get acquainted. Meet Rocksberry the Tall. Although reminiscent of the works of Danish sculpturer Thomas Dambo, his creator is a local sculpturer, Stephen R. Feilbach, based out of Eureka Springs. He is known for his large imaginative sculptures and his gnomes. Check him out at stephenrfeilbach.com. Later in the day we found another of his works in Basin Park - Humpty Dumpty.
Rocksberry was located at a trolley stop as we came into town.
Humpty Dumpty was sitting on a wall downtown in Basin Spring Park. This is from the sign in the park.
"Nestled in the heart of downtown, Basin Spring Park marks the very spot where Eureka Springs began. After discovering the spring in 1856, Dr. Alvah Jackson used its waters to treat hundreds of patients, including wounded Civil Wars soldiers. In 1879 he persuaded his hunting companion, Judge J.B. Sanders, who suffered from a crippling illness, to visit the spring. After experiencing a marked improvement in his health, Judge Saunders used his considerable influence to promote the spring's healing qualities. Word quickly spread, and visitors seeking cures for a variety of ailments traveled by wagon and rail to this Ozark hillside Tents and boarding houses appeared almost overnight, and the City of Eureka Springs was born.
Throughout the 1880s, thousands flocked here, believing the cool, clear waters could restore their health and vitality. Basin Spring was eventually enclosed and improved, walkways were constructed, and the surrounding hillside was landscaped to accommodate the growing crowds. While other springs were discovered throughout the area, Basin Spring remained the cultural and social center of the town.
After a series of devastating fires swept through Eureka Springs in the late nineteenth century, and as enthusiasm for health resorts declined nationwide, the community was forced to adapt Wooden structures gave way to more permanent improvements, including paved paths, stone retaining walls, and ornamental features reflecting the City Beautiful movement of the era. In 91915, the iconic bandshell was erected, which hosted concerts and community events, reinforcing the park's role.
Today, Basin Spring Park stands as both the birthplace and enduring symbol of Eureka Springs -- a place of renewal, resilience, and connection for generations past and present. Residents and visitors alike continue to gather here for celebrations, rallies, and everyday conversation, ensuring the spring remains central to the community's identity."
We had lunch at the Basin Spring Hotel and split a fish and chips meal with an appetizer of fried mac & cheese. Finished off the delicious meal with huckleberry pie with a scoop of huckleberry ice cream. Based on the photos I took I think you can figure out the star of the meal. Grin. The first photo is the ceiling of the elevator. It is translucent and each mosaic piece shines.
With no apparent rhyme or reason, this is some of the things we saw roaming around.
The great Blue Heron standing guard outside the ticket office for the trolley system. I tried to find out who was the sculpturer but got three different answers. So enjoy it and hope the artist that built it gets full credit elsewhere.
This yummy old building is the Old Eureka Springs Icehouse.
Originally it was the Ice Factory and Electric Light Plant of Eureka Springs and in 1904 belonged to the Citizens Electric Company acting as the city light and power plant, ice factory and cold storage. The building has been for sale for many long years and has deteriorated so much the estimate to renovate and save it is estimated into the millions of dollars.
One of Eureka Springs many springs and a formation of table rock. The table rock, according to Mr. AI:
The andesite of Table Rocks is a gray to black, glassy rock. As the flow cooled, it contracted to produce the distinct pattern of columnar jointing. These cracks are the result of the lava flow shrinking while it was cooling down. (the photo of the table rock doesn't show the layers like I wanted, but you can see a bit of it in the spring photo.)
And last of the miscellaneous photos is Puff the Magic Dragon I snapped as we drove past.
The trolley took us to the Crescent Hotel where we walked their beautiful gardens.
The Crescent Hotel and Spa was opened in `1886 and is considered the Arkansas's symbol of hospitality and as America's most haunted hotel. When it was new it was considered the "finest hotel west of the Mississippi". Over the years it fell into disrepair, even losing a roof in a 1967 fire. Marty and Elise Roenigk visited the area in 1997 and decided to purchase and restore the building.
It has several resident ghosts, not surprising since there was a morgue in the basement and for a time it was a cancer hospital (a fraudulent one but....). Some of the famous ghosts that still roam the halls and the morgue are:
Michael: One of the construction workers killed on site after plunging to his death. Most commonly found in Room 218 moving things around, touching guests, and crying out loud.
Norman Baker: The white suited operator of the "cancer curing hospital" in the 1930's. You can make his acquaintance in the lobby or in the basement morgue.
Breckie: A four year old boy who plays with a red ball on the second floor and is reported to appear as an orb in photographs taken by guests.
Theodora: A very polite spirit that likes to help people. She was an unfortunate patient of the cancer curing hospital and hangs around Room 419.
And finally but by far not the least....
Morris: The general manager of the hotel for 21 years, buried out back but still is seen roaming the halls on occasion. This was on Findagrave but I couldn't find a name to cite:
"Morris was the resident cat at the BEAUTIFUL, historic, famous (and haunted?) Crescent Hotel in wonderful Eureka Springs, Arkansas. While wandering the grounds of the hotel, I happened upon Morris's grave in the garden area, and was touched that he was such a beloved and important part of the hotel's history. There is also a memorial plaque in the lobby of the hotel, with a tribute to him, that reads, "In Memory of Morris, the Resident Cat at the Crescent Hotel, He filled his position exceedingly well,The General Manager title he wore, was printed right there on his own office door, He acted as greeter and sometimes as guide, Whatever his duties, he did them with pride, He chose his own hours and set his own pace, The guests were impressed with his manners and grace, Upstairs and down he kept everything nice, They might have had ghosts, but they never had mice, Due to the fact he was growing quite old, he'd doze by the fire when the weather got cold, His years were a dignified twenty and one, when at last he retired his nine lives were done, He filled his position exceedingly well, the Resident Cat at The Crescent Hotel. I also had the pleasure of meeting the hotel's new resident cat, Rufus, at the front desk. RIP, Morris"
Truly the highlight of the trip to Eureka Springs, with that Huckleberry Pie ala mode a closer second, was our visit to Thorncrown Chapel. A beautiful, quiet, spiritual chapel in the woods. In 1971 Jim Reed purchased the property to build his dream retirement home. After several visitors stopped to enjoy the tranquil views of the Ozarks Jim decided to welcome them instead of "fencing them out". He and his wife decided to build a glass chapel for inspiration. After meeting architect E. Fay Jones, a former apprentice under Frank Lloyd Wright and native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas the architect was eager to build the chapel.
Funds ran out about halfway through the construction an it looked like the couples dream would not come true. After several failures to raise the money to complete the project, Reed was about to give up. Not a religious man per se, he nevertheless walked down to the half completed chapel one evening and prayed like he had never prayed before. Several days later a woman from Illinois loaned them the money to complete the project.
Specifics:
48' tall
425 Windows
6000 sf of glass
sits over 100 tons of stone and colored flagstaff
Over 7,000,000 people have visited (that SEVEN MILLION since 1980)
My advice if in the area is to go!!!!
A magical day in a beautiful little town with friendly people and something to see every time you turned around. It definitely needs to be visited again soon. Oh, did I mention that the Basin Springs Hotel has excellent Huckleberry pie ala mode??
Heading out to listen to more whispers along the backroads.
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