Colonnade Building

And now we come to the Colonnade Building.

By 1840, more people were coming to the Bedford Springs not only to take the waters but for the social side and to enjoy the outdoors. These guests included politicians, diplomats, and industrialists such as Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, and John D. Rockefeller.  The owners of the hotel wanted to impress their expanding clientele so, with the need for more guestrooms, they decided to build the Colonial Building, now called the Colonnade Building.

This Greek Revival style building was designed by Solomon Filler, a local builder who also constructed the Bedford County Courthouse and Bedford’s Presbyterian Church.

A departure from the other buildings at the Bedford Springs, the Colonial Building has a brick façade, 5 bricks deep. As you look out the windows you can see how thick the walls are. In total, the Colonial Building has over 500,000 bricks. They were fired right here on property, at a cost of $3.75 per 1,000 bricks.

The Grand Staircase you see is in its original, 3-story configuration. Its open style allows the sun to light the central parts of the building.  The skylight, star bursts, and bridges make this a truly breathtaking space!

The divided stairs allowed ladies and gentlemen to climb the stairs separately. It wouldn’t have been appropriate for a gentleman to follow a lady up the stairs and see her ankles!

Under the Grand Staircase was the original location of the front desk. Over the years the space has served various uses, from a seating area to concierge desk to its current use as the lobby bar.  With the 2007 renovation, the front desk was moved to its current location.

Behind the front desk you can see a rare 39-star flag made after the Civil War. There was never an official flag with 39 stars issued by the US government. It is thought that the three stars to the left were added in anticipation of Nebraska, Colorado, and the Dakota territories becoming states. During the renovation, to prepare the 12 x 7-foot flag for display, craftspeople from Bedford spent many hours to repair and stabilize it.

Please continue your tour.