158 Academy Ln, Pence Springs, WV 24962

A wonderful compound of various buildings located on approximately 138 Acres +/- in the beautiful mountains of Almost Heaven Summers County, WV.

A piece of history

Nestled in the verdant hills of Summers County, West Virginia, the Pence Springs Hotel was once a grand symbol of luxury, health, and prosperity. From its beginnings as a resort for the wealthy elite to its decline and transformation, the hotel’s history is interwoven with the story of the famed mineral springs that put this remote part of West Virginia on the map.

The Springs and the Birth of a Resort

Pence Springs, located along the Greenbrier River, was known for its naturally occurring mineral springs, which were believed to have curative properties. Long before the resort era, Indigenous peoples and early settlers alike sought out these waters, attributing them to healing ailments ranging from digestive issues to rheumatism.

The area’s rise as a resort destination began in the late 19th century, during the golden age of mineral spas. Wealthy families from cities like Richmond, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., flocked to mineral springs resorts in the Appalachian region for relaxation and treatment. Entrepreneurs, seeing the economic potential, began investing in hotels and spas near these natural springs.

Around the early 1900s, the Pence Springs Hotel was established as a luxurious retreat, designed to attract guests who wanted both the serenity of the mountains and the reputed health benefits of mineral waters. The resort offered grand accommodations, including elegantly furnished rooms, wraparound porches, and beautifully manicured gardens.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Former historic hotel resort, state reformatory, hotel resort again, and lately a girls’ school

• 25,000 SF three-story hotel, recently used as an education center, lodging, and headquarters

• A fantastic compound in the beautiful quite mountains of Summers County, West Virginia

• Tremendous investment opportunity with endless possibilities of creating income in multiple ways

• Huge commercial kitchen

• Dining room

• Offices

• 7400 SF fitness center and gymnasium

• 6000 SF two-story arts and educational building with a large, wonderful, covered porch

• Wonderful multipurpose sunroom

• The ballroom and dining hall combination

• Incredible historic lobby with a wonderful fireplace

• Beautiful, covered porches and decks

• Lovely oak hardwood floors and woodwork in much of the building

• The first and second floors have been remodeled with conference and meeting space, offices, and 20 rooms with shared restrooms

• The third floor has the same footprint as the first and second levels

• Full basement with walkouts

• Miles of roads and trails to explore within 138 acres

• 120 acres of forest with an emerging hardwood timber stand

• Excellent hunting property

• Mountain pond.

• Most recently used as a school for girls

• Excellent opportunity for a retreat center, boutique hotel, education center, and a multitude of other uses

• 60-room hotel, the early days were a Mecca for the elite travelers and gamblers

• Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places

• Possible historic tax credits available

• 44,000 SF of finished buildings

• The third floor has not been remodeled from its past use as the State of West Virginia Women’s Prison

• World-class fishing and water recreation due to the three rivers that are nearby: the Greenbrier, Bluestone, and the Mighty New River

• Bluestone Dam and Reservoir is a 15-minute drive

• 10-minute drive to golf at the Hinton Elks Club at Willowwood.

• The newest National Park and Preserve in the US is in Hinton, the county seat of government

• Outstanding 2900 SF, eight stall horse stable with electric and private well.

• Huge, covered riding center

• 13 mountain yurts for camping and outings

• 44-minute drive to America’s Resort, the famous Greenbrier Hotel and Sporting Club

• 30-minute drive to historic Lewisburg

• ¼ mile to the beautiful Greenbrier River

• Public water

• Public sewer

• The Hinton/Alderson airport is within sight of the property.

• The subject property adjoins the Pence Springs Flea Market

• Easy walking distance to a convenience store and a gas station

• About 2 hours to Charleston, WV

• About 2 hours to Roanoke, VA

• 35-minute drive to Greenbrier Valley Airport at Lewisburg. Daily jet service

• Recent improvements with the 2006 and 2025 remodels with modern vinyl windows, propane furnace, and hotel roof replaced about 5 years ago

• No county-wide zoning in Summers County, West Virginia

  BUILDINGS

  EARLY HISTORY AND THE FIRST HOTEL

  The area now known as Pence Springs was originally frequented by wildlife and Indigenous peoples, drawn to its mineral-rich waters. In 1872, Andrew S. Pence acquired the property and constructed a wooden hotel to accommodate visitors seeking the therapeutic benefits of the spring. The arrival of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in the late 1870s, with a station conveniently located across the Greenbrier River, significantly boosted the influx of guests. Pence capitalized on this by bottling and selling the spring’s water, which garnered acclaim, notably receiving a silver medal at the 1904 St. Louis Exposition for its quality.

  THE SECOND HOTEL AND ITS HEYDAY

  After a fire destroyed the original hotel in 1912, the Pence family embarked on constructing a more grandiose establishment. Completed between 1916 and 1918, the new three-story brick hotel blended Georgian and Italian Revival architectural styles. Its distinctive “V” shape, with a monumental portico supported by four wooden piers, made it a striking landmark. The hotel offered modern amenities and recreational facilities, including a golf course, a pavilion, a ballroom, and a casino. During the Prohibition era, it discreetly operated as a speakeasy in its basement, attracting guests who arrived in window-tinted limousines to maintain discretion.

  TRANSITION TO A STATE INSTITUTION

  The Great Depression led to the hotel’s closure in 1929. In 1947, the state of West Virginia purchased the property and converted it into the West Virginia State Prison for Women. The facility operated for 37 years until its closure in 1985. Despite modifications for its institutional use, many of the building’s original architectural features were preserved.

  The third floor has not been remodeled and still reflects the building's use as the State of West Virginia’s Lady Prison. A small portion of the third floor remains the maximum-security area, complete with the jail cells still in place.

  THE RESTORATION ERA

  Later, in a dramatic shift, the once-glamorous resort became a women’s prison, further distancing itself from its past as a place of leisure. O. Ashby Berkeley purchased the property from the State of WV somewhere in the 1980’s. Berkley renovated the hotel to be used once again as a grand country hotel and resort.

  MOST RECENT USE

  Greenbrier Academy for Girls, located in Pence Springs, West Virginia, was a therapeutic boarding school established in 2007. The academy offered a college preparatory curriculum for students in grades 8 through 12, emphasizing both academic and therapeutic programs. In addition to traditional subjects, Greenbrier Academy incorporated arts and extracurricular activities into its program. Students engaged in African drumming, various clubs, and community service projects, including trips abroad to countries like Africa and Nicaragua. The Academy closed in 2023.

  PRESERVATION AND CURRENT USE

  Constructed in 1918, it was remodeled in 2006 and again later. The Pence Springs Hotel was established as a luxurious retreat, designed to attract guests who wanted both the serenity of the mountains and the believed health benefits of the mineral waters. The resort offered grand accommodations, including elegantly furnished rooms, wraparound porches, and beautifully manicured gardens.

  HOTEL SNAPSHOT

  • 25,000 SF three-story boarding school (historical hotel)

  • Full commercial kitchen

  • Dining/Banquet room

  • Amazing Grand Parlor

  • The Sunroom

  • Multiple Offices

  • Perched on a knoll overlooking the beautiful Pence Springs Valley. The first and second floors are remodeled with meeting spaces, dining areas, a kitchen, and +/-20 rooms with shared bathrooms