Bath, known to the world by its post office name of Berkeley Springs, developed around healing waters that drew hundreds of visitors by as early as 1750, when the area was also called Medicinal Springs, Healing Springs, Warm Springs, and Frederick Springs. George Washington was connected to Berkeley Springs from the time he was 16 through the reading of his will in 1799, eating, sleeping, owning land, and bathing in and around the springs, and he visited nearly a dozen times with members of his family, often for several weeks, for both the waters and social life. The Virginia legislature established the town of Bath at the springs in 1776, and the first lots sold in 1777 included buyers such as George and Samuel Washington and other colonial elite who chose Bath as the country's first spa. Hospitality and health remained central to Berkeley Springs as it survived war, downtown fires, and incompatible industries, welcoming both famous and obscure visitors for more than two centuries at summer cottages, large hotels, and covered bathhouses. In the 21st century, Berkeley Springs is a nationally recognized art town filled with spas, shops, restaurants, galleries, and inns.
