Hot Springs is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) in Bath County,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, United States. The population as of the 2020 Census was 524. It is located about southwest of Warm Springs on U.S. Route 220. Hot Springs has several historic resorts, for the springs helped develop Bath County.

History

Since at least the mid-18th century, travelers came to use the springs. Thomas Bullitt built the first inn to accommodate them in 1766 and Dr. Thomas Goode later expanded it. The most prominent modern resort, The Homestead, traces its origin to this inn. Mustoe House, The Yard, Barton Lodge, Switchback School, and Garth Newel are also 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 1943, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, The Homestead hosted a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

conference which implemented the foundation of

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...

. From December 1941 until June 1942, following the United States' entry into

, the Homestead served as a high-end

internment camp Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without Criminal charge, charges or Indictment, intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects ...

for 785

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese diplomats and their families until they could be exchanged through neutral channels for their American counterparts. The diplomats were later transferred to the Greenbrier Hotel in

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

. Hot Springs was once the terminus of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad's Hot Springs Branch, which extended from Covington in Alleghany County to Hot Springs in large part passenger service to serve the resort in Hot Springs, though other customers were served, including lumber companies. There was a turntable in Hot Springs that reversed the train for the return trip back. The C&O once considered extending the line into West Virginia to serve the logging industry, but decided to build its Greenbrier Division in West Virginia instead. By 1975, the C&O abandoned the branch line, and a tourist railroad, the Allegany Central, was to start. However, the Homestead resort decided it no longer wanted the railroad or the tourist line to extend to Hot Springs, so the rails were torn up to the Bath County line. In 1984, the tourist railroad ended and a rail trail, Jackson River Scenic Trail was subsequently built on the line in Alleghany County but was not extended by Bath County to Hot Springs to follow the full length of C&O's Hot Springs Branch. One of the original steam engines that served the Hot Springs Branch is preserved in Covington, Virginia.

Climate

Hot springs has a humid continental climate of type (Dfb) bordering on type (Dfa). It also borders on a humid subtropical climate (Cfa).

Demographics

Hot Springs was first listed as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in the 2010 U.S. Census.

References

External links

Vine Cottage Inn at Hot Springs"Taking the Waters: 19th Century Medicinal Springs: Hot Springs."
Claude Moore Health Sciences Library,

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

{{authority control Census-designated places in Bath County, Virginia Hot springs of Virginia Spa towns in the United States Census-designated places in Virginia Bodies of water of Bath County, Virginia