Beersheba Springs, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Beersheba Springs, Tennessee
Town
A view of Tarlton Valley from Beersheba Springs
Location of Beersheba Springs in Grundy County, Tennessee.
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Grundy
Incorporated	1835
Area
• Total	4.80 sq mi (12.43 km2)
• Land	4.80 sq mi (12.43 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,850 ft (560 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	434
• Density	90.44/sq mi (34.92/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	37305
Area code(s)	931
FIPS code	47-04240
GNIS feature ID	1305073

Beersheba Springs is a small town in Grundy County, Tennessee, in the United States. It is located in the south-central part of the state. In 2020, about 434 people lived there. Beersheba Springs was a very popular vacation spot in the 1800s.

A wealthy businessman named John Armfield helped develop the town in 1854. It became a favorite place for rich visitors from cities like Nashville. Later, the famous Tennessee author Mary Noailles Murfree often spent her summers there. Today, Beersheba Springs is a main summer meeting place for the Tennessee United Methodist Church.

History

In 1833, a woman named Beersheba Porter Cain found a special spring. This spring had mineral water that people thought was good for their health. The area around the spring was officially made a town in 1839.

Beersheba Springs became a summer resort with a small hotel and log cabins. People loved its mineral waters. Many travelers on stagecoaches between Chattanooga and McMinnville would stop there. People from Louisiana also came to escape the hot summers in their home state.

Beersheba Springs Hotel, 1913

The Beersheba Springs Resort

In 1854, a wealthy businessman named Colonel John Armfield bought the resort property. He brought many workers to Beersheba Springs to build a new, fancy hotel and more cabins. The resort was designed to hold up to 400 guests. It had many features like laundry services, ice houses, billiard rooms, and bowling alleys. French chefs cooked for the guests, and musicians from New Orleans performed there.

Workers built a wooden observatory at the front of the hotel. From this spot, guests could watch battles during the Civil War. However, the war made it unsafe, and fewer visitors came. The resort was eventually sold to new owners.

The resort opened again in the 1870s after the war. But it never became as grand as it once was. In 1940, the Methodist Church bought the resort. They turned it into a place for church meetings and summer camps.

The resort buildings still look much like they did in the past. Some parts have been updated or fixed up. Today, the camp hosts the yearly Beersheba Springs Arts and Craft Fair. It is still used for Methodist Church meetings and summer camps.

In 1980, the resort area was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important historical site.

Geography

Beersheba Springs is located at 35°28′2″N 85°40′18″W / 35.46722°N 85.67167°W / 35.46722; -85.67167. The town covers an area of about 4.9 square miles (12.43 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Demographics

The population of Beersheba Springs has changed over the years. In 2020, there were 434 people living in the town. These people lived in 198 households, with 144 of them being families.

Beersheba Springs Today

The old resort is now a special place for the Tennessee branch of the United Methodist Church. It is also home to the popular Arts and Craft festival. The Old Brown Museum, which used to be a country store, is now a museum. It shows the history of Beersheba Springs. The town has seven churches.

See also

In Spanish: Beersheba Springs para niños