On Wednesday, Aug. 5, Randall Reid-Smith, commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, presented to Alex McLaughlin, chair of The Friends of the Blue, a grant award of $25,000 toward Phase II of the restoration of the Blue Sulphur Spring Pavilion.
The Development Grant will be added to other funds to continue the preservation work on the 1838 spring house which is all that is left of this once thriving resort. The Friends of the Blue hope to bid some of the work of Phase II this fall and the remainder in the spring as funds permit.
Community support continues to be amazing for this preservation effort. Those attending the fund-raising dinner for The Blue at the Cadle Farm on Sunday, Aug, 23 from 4-7 p.m. will hear an update on the progress. There will be good food, entertainment, and a silent auction. Tickets for the event are $35 for one ticket or $60 for each pair. Children under 10 are $10 each. Tickets must be purchased by Aug. 17 and are available at the Greenbrier Historical Society, 301 West Washington Street, Lewisburg (phone 304-645-3398) or from committee members.
The Greenbrier Historical Society (GHS) is the umbrella organization which owns the property and supports the Friends of The Blue Committee. Without the help of GHS, this restoration effort would not be possible. Alex McLaughlin said, “Of course, the ultimate preservationist is Mrs. Rebecca Fleshman Lineberry who made it all possible when she donated the Blue and two acres of land to GHS.”
In addition to the more than 175 individuals who have donated to this project and the State Historic Preservation Office, funds have come from the Greenbrier County Commission, the Daywood Foundation, the Marie Liest Foundation, and State Legislators among others. The support of the Mills Group, an architectural firm, has also been crucial to the progress of this effort.
