Bedford Springs Resort Forms Historical Society
BEDFORD, PA, February 5, 2007. Bedford Springs Hotel, the vintage Pennsylvania springs hotel that captivated American society for three centuries, is currently undergoing extensive restoration and will re-open as Bedford Springs Resort in mid-2007. The recently formed Bedford Springs Historical Society has launched a search for memorabilia representing the acclaimed destination's storied past.
With heritage that reaches back to 1796, Bedford Springs was a favored retreat for more than ten U.S. Presidents, numerous diplomats and politicians, the United States military, captains of industry and high society. The hotel's keepsake mementos were circulated by well-heeled guests and traveled the mails and rails spreading word about the destination's fine lodging and the curative powers its seven surrounding natural springs.
Former hotel guests and employees, relatives and friends may have Bedford Springs souvenirs stashed in attics, stuck in scrapbooks or tucked in basement trunks. The Bedford Springs Historical Society hopes to locate these buried treasures and showcase some in special hotel lobby displays upon re-opening.
Memorabilia of particular interest includes ledgers of any kind - guest, worker, bar, and water bottle ledgers because Bedford Springs was known for bottled, healing spring water. The historical society also wants to find old photographs, documents, books, brochures, newspapers and maps; Bedford Springs Hotel stationary, envelopes and postcards; furniture,paintings, dishes and silverware, water bottles, menus, napkins and table linens.
Bedford Springs Resort welcomes information regarding any mementos dating from 1796 through the hotel's closing in 1989. Please contact the property directly at (814) 623-8100 or email Todd Gillespie at tgillespie@benchmarkmanagement.com. The Bedford Springs Historical Society is located at Managers Cottage, Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania, 15522.
Bedford Resort Partners, Ltd., is the owner and developer of the Bedford Springs Resort project. The partners include The Ferchill Group of Cleveland, Ohio, a real estate development company that specializes in historic rehabilitation projects, Chevron TCI, Inc., a leading investor in tax credit rehabilitation projects in the United States and The Bedford Springs Company, LLC.
Benchmark Hospitality International, an independent hospitality management company based in The Woodlands (Houston), Texas, operates resorts, conference centers, hotels and condominium resorts both domestically and internationally.
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