Gainesville – “The Great Health Resort of the South”

In 1821, the town known as “Mule Camp Springs” officially changed its name to “Gainesville.” Shortly thereafter the gold rush began and an influx of settlers sparked the development of a business community in the newly incorporated town of Gainesville.

In the mid-1840s, the Gainesville area was well known for its healing waters, moderate climate, and gentle surroundings. In 1849, Gainesville was established as a healing arts resort center which was known throughout the country by doctors and patients alike as a place of rest and healing. Dignitaries, businesspeople and socialites came from around the United States to benefit from the health resources naturally present in Gainesville. The White Sulphur Springs Hotel was a major attraction, hosting thousands of visitors seeking the therapeutic waters endemic to the Gainesville area.

In 1871, the opening of Atlanta and Charlotte Air Line Railroad brought further growth.

The area developed as a mountain summer resort, with local springs touted for their health-giving qualities and resistance to fever that plagued the South's coastal areas. Gainesville, the "Great Health Resort of the South," soon housed the region's first hospital, college and military academy along with a sizeable cultural base - all traditions that remain today. Along with hotels, large Victorian and Georgian style homes graced its streets. The city was the first south of Philadelphia to install electric streetlights, and provided residents the services of an electric streetcar system.

While Gainesville continued as a healing resort until the 1930s, there is little remaining evidence of the splendor of the early health resort.

Over 150 years later, The Healing Arts Spa on Green Street aims to revive the healing arts roots of our community by revivifying its citizens and visitors.

We welcome you to a unique experience which recaptures the earliest history of Gainesville.

Relax and enjoy!