Mineral Water Bottles
Alvon Water
Alvon, Greenbrier County
Information needed.
Borland Springs Mineral Water Co.
1908—1941
The Borland Springs Hotel was built on the border of Wood and Pleasants County by John Wilbur Grimm in 1908 (Borland Springs, n.d.). While it offered various recreational activities, fine dining, and more, the purported healing nature of the mineral springs caused its popularity to soar. The hotel sold its spring water via mail order and at local stores; these are the origins of the below bottles.
The business did well until 1918, when Grimm’s son shot and killed a man in the hotel. Guests rumored that it was haunted, reporting odd occurrences following the incident, and business plummeted. Grimm sold the hotel in 1932 and the new owner conducted thorough renovations on it until its reopening in 1934. The Great Depression led to still-stagnant business, and the hotel closed again in 1938. After reopening in the early 1940s, it permanently closed after one year.
Pence Springs Water Co.
Pence Springs, Summers County
1897—1936
The first structures in Pence Springs were a storehouse to collect and bottle spring water and hotel buildings, constructed by Jesse Beard in 1872 (US Dep’t. Interior, 1985). Pence Springs was then purchased and given its name by Andrew P. Pence in 1878. The Pence Springs Hotel opened properly in 1897, significantly expanded from Beard’s initial construction, and Pence began bottling the spring water for retail sale around the same time. This water won Pence second place at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. Bottled Pence Springs water was sold at local stores and home-delivered by the Pence Springs Water Company (Pence Springs Water Co., 1926; Pence Springs Water Co., 1956). Another victim of the Great Depression, the resort closed in 1929. The Pence Springs Water Company continued on, albeit fighting significant financial hardship, through the Great Depression until coming to an end in 1936.
The building where spring water was collected to manufacture ginger ale. From West Virginia History OnView.
Red Sulphur Springs Water
Red Sulphur Springs, Monroe County
Coming soon.
White Sulphur Springs
Greenbrier, Greenbrier County
Greenbrier, Virginia--predates statehood. Emerald green.
An amber White Sulphur Springs water.
An aqua White Sulphur Springs water.
A teal White Sulphur Springs water.
Greenbrier Sparkling Water
White Sulphur Springs, Greenbrier County
Coming soon.
References
Borland Springs: a brief history (n.d.). Borland Springs. https://sites.google.com/borlandsprings.com/borlandsprings/history
Pence Springs Water Co. (1926, April 21). Pence Springs water [advertisement]. Hinton Daily News, 6.
Pence Springs Water Co. (1956, January 10). Notice patrons of Pence Springs Water Co. [advertisement]. Hinton Daily News, 8.
United States Department of the Interior. (1985). National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form, Pence Springs Hotel Historic District.