Counts Hotel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Count Hotel
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The NRHP-listed Armour's Hotel, formerly the Counts Hotel.
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 Location in Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Location | 321 East Main Street, Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee |
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| Area | 2.7 acres (1.1 ha) |
| Built | 1924 |
| Architect | John Smith |
| Architectural style | Colonial revival |
| MPS | Early Twentieth Century Resort Buildings of Red Boiling Springs |
| NRHP reference No. | 86002856 |
| Added to NRHP | September 11, 1986 |
Armour's Hotel, also known as the Counts Hotel, is a historic building in Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, United States. It was built in 1924. This hotel is one of only three old hotels left from a time when Red Boiling Springs was a popular resort town.
In 1986, Armour's Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Donoho Hotel and the Thomas House were also added at the same time. Today, Armour's Hotel is special because it still offers mineral spring baths. These baths were a big reason why people visited Red Boiling Springs long ago.
What Does Armour's Hotel Look Like?
The hotel is built in a style called colonial revival architecture. This means it looks like older American colonial buildings. It is made from bricks that were made right in the local area.
The hotel has a "T" shape. It has a large porch that runs along the front of the building. This porch has two floors and is supported by brick and wood columns. The roof is made of metal and has wide edges. Wooden decorations are found on the ends of the roof.
Inside, there are 24 guest rooms. Eleven of these rooms are on the first floor. A beautiful cherry wood staircase leads to the second floor. The second floor has 15 guest rooms. Guests can reach their rooms from a hallway inside the hotel. Only one room on the first floor has its own outside door. This door leads to a sunny porch. Each guest room has its own bathroom. There is also a special bathhouse with two old-fashioned bathtubs. These tubs are used for mineral water baths.
The Story of Armour's Hotel
In the 1880s, places with natural mineral springs became very popular vacation spots. This was inspired by the success of places like Saratoga Springs, New York. A businessman from New York, James F. O. Shaughnessy, bought land in Red Boiling Springs. He started to develop the area into a resort.
The Counts Hotel was built in 1924. It was placed on a bank overlooking a creek. At this time, Red Boiling Springs was very busy. There were six large hotels, each with about 50 or 60 rooms. These hotels offered three Southern-style meals each day with the room price. There were also at least nine smaller boarding houses.
The hotel was first known as Smith's Brick Hotel. This was because it was the first brick hotel in the area. In the 1940s, Henry Counts bought the hotel. He added modern features like indoor plumbing, electricity, and private bathrooms for each room. After he bought it, the hotel became known as the Counts Hotel.
The resort had five different types of mineral water. Three of these types were found on the Counts Hotel property. These were called "white," "red," and "black" water. Doctors in the town would suggest which water to use and how much. People believed the "white" water helped with digestion. The "red" water, which smelled like sulfur, was thought to help with bladder and kidney issues. The "black" water, which had sulfur and magnesium, was believed to help the stomach and liver.
The hotel has been open almost all the time since it was built. In 1952, only the Cloyd Hotel and Counts Hotel were still open. Today, Armour's Hotel is the only one that still offers the traditional mineral water baths.
