Since the Shannondale Springs hotel had been reduced to ashes in 1858, its owners and potential investors had lacked the resources to restore the resort to its former splendor. The devastation caused by the war and the challenges of Reconstruction had forced the owners to focus on rebuilding their lives. The economic climate had changed by the time Baker and Hurst and purchased Shannondale Springs in 1888. Across the river, millionaire Charles Broadway Rouss was building Shannon Park, a residence for his son, C.H. B. Rouse.66 The renovations included extensive landscaping. The Rouss’s generosity extended to visitors at Shannondale Springs. In August 1889, the Spirit of Jefferson reported that,

On Thursday evening last, the crowd of young people camping at Shannondale Springs were sumptuously entertained by Mr. Charles B. Rouss, Jr., at his summer villa, Shannon Park. Coming for the festive campers in his new steam launch that now glides up and down the river with swan-like grace and makes the surrounding mountains echo with its merry whistle as it steams along, the party soon found themselves amidst his spacious halls, which were brilliantly lighted for the occasion. An extensive and delightful meat supper, supplemented by champagne and other choice wines, followed by dancing on the glistening floor of the ball-room, and refreshments later on in the evening, afforded those present an exquisite time. Mr. Rouss is a polished host.67

Rouss’s hospitality was a reminder of what Shannondale Springs had once been and, perhaps, what it could be again.

Baker and Hurst began construction of a new Shannondale Springs Hotel in the Spring of 1890. The frame structure was built on the spot where the earlier hotel had been. The building was 100 feet long by 45 feet in width, included a basement and two stories, and contained 25 guest rooms, a ball room, and several bath rooms. When allowances are made for porches and piazzas, the new building appears to have closely resembled the original structure in size and external appearance.68

The Hotel opened early in July 1890 with a dance marking the occasion. The only criticism of the well-attended festivity was that the women outnumbered the men three to one. An advertisement marking the season’s opening of the Springs noted “Excellent Boating, Bathing, Fishing and Hunting — Scenery Unsurpassed. Three Fine Mineral Springs. Cool, Quiet. Reasonable Charges. Everything new.”69

The rebirth of the hotel at this time was directly related to the establishment of the Charlestown Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company. Formed to inject new economic vitality into Jefferson County, the corporation planned to improve transportation, establish major industries, create a large residential and commercial subdivision adjacent to Charles Town, and utilize local resources such as limestone, timber, clay, and iron ore. The company purchased options on both the iron deposits at Shannondale and the Shannondale Springs resort.70 If the economic boom occurred, the owners of Shannondale Springs would share in the prosperity.

By 1896, the tradition of ring tournaments had returned to the Springs, although on a smaller scale. The Virginia Free Press reported, “A tournament was had that was most enjoyable, being witnessed by the guests at the hotel and neighborhood around. There were four knights who ran and used their spears most gracefully. A most appropriate speech was made to the young people by Mr. Spencer Prentiss, of Washington, D.C. After the crowning was over the young people indulged in dancing and feasting.”71 The participants were ages six and seven. In the years that followed, the contestants were to be more mature. The type of visitors to the Springs had changed. There would be few members of the nation’s political and social elite and more families, young people, and sportsmen.

Figures 11 through 15 illustrate the Shannondale Springs property during the 1890's. (Additional views are presented in Appendix A.)

The financial boom envisioned by the Charles Town Mining, Manufacturing, and Improvement Company did not materialize, and the hopes of Shannondale Springs’ owners collapsed with those of the grand project. Baker and Hurst used the Shannondale Springs property and the adjacent farm to secure a note for $8,000. When they defaulted on the loan, H.C. Getzendanner purchased the property in October 1902 at public auction 21 for $9,055. The purchase included the 66 1/2-acre Springs property, the adjacent 125-acre farm, and “ the ferry and ferry franchise and cable and large ferry boat.” 72

When the Springs was about to open in the Summer of 1902, William P. Craighill reminisced about the past glories of the place and the eminent visitors it had served. The author claimed at least five presidents as guests of the Springs — George Washington as a surveyor, James Monroe as a friend of the Craighills (who owned property nearby), Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and Millard Fillmore. Although documentation has not yet been located to verify the visits of the first three Presidents named, Craighill claimed to have himself seen Van Buren and Fillmore at the Springs. The claims for Presidential visits have continued to grow from this period, and most of them remain unsubstantiated.73

Figure 11. Nine women seated on grass on north side of Shannondal Springs Hotel (facing river), ca. 1895. Courtesy of the Jefferson County Museum. 23

Figure 12. Two double brick cottages (right) and a smaller structure (left) at on the crest of the hill at Shannondale Springs (ca. 1895). The buldings on the right were known as the "Presidential Cottages" and probably date from the 1830's, when several Presidents were said to have used the site as an escape from the insufferable summers in Washington. Original photo in Jefferson County Museum. 24

Figure 13. Large gathering of young people (ca. 1895) sitting in front of one of the springs at Shannondale Springs. One of the brick cottages is visible on the upper right. Original photo in Jefferson County Museu 25

Figure 14. View fron ferryboat crossing Shenandoah River at Shannondale Springs (ca. 1894). A black man on right is holding the rudder (?). A carriage wheel is visible on the left. Original photo in Jefferson County Museum. 26

Figure 15. "Putting them up." Tents at Shannondale Springs, ca. 1895. Original photo in Jefferson County Museum.