Hot Springs is a town in

Madison County, North Carolina Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,193. Its county seat is Marshall. Madison County is part of the Asheville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area. History ...

, United States. The population was 520 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Asheville metropolitan statistical area. It is situated on the Appalachian Trail and

French Broad River The French Broad River is a river in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Tennessee. It flows from near the town of Rosman, North Carolina, Rosman in Transylvania County, North Carolina, into Tennessee, where its confluence with the Holston R ...

near the North Carolina-Tennessee border. Hot Springs is best known for its hiking trails, natural springs, and mountain town atmosphere.

History

Hot Springs is located at the confluence of the

and

Spring Creek A spring creek is a type of free flowing river whose name derives from its origin: an underground Spring (hydrology), spring or set of springs which produces sufficient water to consistently feed a unique river. The water flowing in a spring cree ...

. A natural thermal spring is located there, the only hot spring known in North Carolina and in much of the southeastern United States. Thus, this area has long been a destination for those looking for therapeutic relief from their ailments. Native Americans were the first to discover and use the 108 °F (42 °C) mineral waters, and European immigrants settled the area over 200 years ago. It is reported that people were visiting the springs by 1778 for the waters' reported healing properties. It was believed Jasper Dagy was the first owner of Warm Springs, as it was then called, and he sold it to William Neilson in 1791. Neilson built an inn, and Philip Hoodenpile built an estate and a

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

across the French Broad, as well as the toll road Jewel Hill Road. In 1828, a major road was constructed through the town, the Buncombe Turnpike, making the area more accessible. By 1831, James Patton of Asheville bought the springs and had erected 350 room Warm Springs Hotel with its 13 tall columns representing the Thirteen Colonies in 1837. The dining room of this large hotel could seat 600 people. The railroad reached the village in 1882. The hotel burned in 1884 after 46 years of operation. Another hotel, called the Mountain Park, was built in 1886. A higher temperature spring was found, prompting the changing of the town's name from Warm Springs to Hot Springs in 1886. Sixteen marble pools were surrounded by landscaped lawns with croquet and tennis courts, and it was known as one of the most lavish resorts in the Southeast. By May 1917, the hotel and grounds were leased to the US Government to be used as an internment camp. Many German and Austro-Hungarian internees, noncombatant aliens, made local friends and stayed in the region after

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. That hotel burned in 1920, and two more were built—neither as large and opulent, and both later burned as well. Hot Springs and the historic district was devastated by flooding caused by Hurricane Helene on September 27, 2024.>

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and (8.96%) is water.

Climate

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 520 people, 223 households, and 143 families residing in the town.

Economy

Today, the hot mineral springs are privately owned by a spa and private lodging rental businesses. Water is piped to outdoor tubs beside the river and Spring Creek. The town is a tourist destination, with the springs as well as abundant outdoor recreation. The Appalachian Trail runs along downtown's Bridge Street and climbs the mountains on either side of the river. Rafting and kayaking is popular on the French Broad River. There are numerous other hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, and sightseeing opportunities in the nearby

Pisgah National Forest Pisgah National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, part of the United States Department of Agriculture. The P ...

Hot Springs Historic District

Hot Springs

Historic District A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 2009. Also listed on the National Register of Historic Places are Dorland Memorial Presbyterian Church, the Henry Ottinger House, and Sunnybank.

Gallery

File:CecilSharp HotSprings.jpg, A sign outside of The Sunnybank Inn marks where Cecil Sharp collected ballads in 1916. File:HotSpring ATsign.jpg, Appalachian Trail sign File:Hot Springs, NC.jpg, View from Lover's Leap Trail File:Appalachian Trail in downtown Hot Springs, NC.jpg, Appalachian Trail marker embedded in sidewalk File:Town of Hot Springs and Bridge Street.jpg, alt=View of Town of Hot Springs, NC, View of downtown File:Hot Springs, NC in Winter.jpg, View of Hot Springs and Lover's Leap Ridge File:Bridge over the French Broad River.jpg, French Broad River bridge File:Sunnybank (The Inn at Hot Springs), Hot Springs, NC (31729996117).jpg, Historic Sunnybank File:Lawson Street, Hot Springs, NC (45946946014).jpg, Historic Home on Lawson Street File:Rutland (Mountain Magnolia Inn), Hot Springs, NC (45756553815).jpg, Mountain Magnolia Inn File:Dorland Memorial Presbyterian Church, Hot Springs, NC (46619175092).jpg, Dorland Memorial Presbyterian Church File:Andrews Avenue, Hot Springs, NC (32796871858).jpg, Downtown Hot Springs

References

External links

Official site
{{authority control Towns in Madison County, North Carolina Spa towns in the United States Towns in North Carolina Hot springs of North Carolina Internment of German Americans Populated places established in 1800 Asheville metropolitan area North Carolina populated places on the French Broad River World War I prisoner-of-war camps in the United States