May 14th First stop, the Old Telford Hotel in downtown White Springs

Less than a mile from the entrance of Stephen Foster State Park is the old Telford Hotel/Inn.  

It was built in 1902, and did OK until the Interstate system removed traffic from Highway 41, which was a main north-south route back in the day.  

Way back in the day......

An old Postcard 

 How it looked this morning-  can't tell if it is open or not, and there is supposed to have been a good restaurant here also, but not for sure if it is open anymore 

White Springs bills itself as Florida’s original tourist destination. Beginning in the mid 1800s the town drew visitors on horse back, in stagecoaches and by train to partake of the waters in its sulfur spring. Elaborate spas, fine dining and elegant hotels catered to travelers up through the first couple of decades of the 20th century.

During the 1950s and ’60s a new attraction that became the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park became the focus of visitation to the town. Its museum, Campanile Tower and exhibits captured the attention of vacationers headed down U.S Highway 41. Unfortunately, when the Interstate Highway System diverted that traffic, White Springs sank into obscurity.

The Telford Hotel was built in 1902 by W. B. Telford as a jewel of the hostel business in White Springs. Over the years the three-story brick edifice hosted Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Howard Taft, along with Robert Ripley of Believe It Or Not fame. The last remaining of the original 15 hotels in White Springs, the Telford eventually fell into disrepair over the years.

Today, as part of a general revival of White Springs, Cathy and Nick Lyras are bringing the old structure back to life as the Telford Hotel Restaurant Bed & Breakfast. To step through the front door of this work in progress is to enter a portal to another time.

But, be aware, some of the original visitors seem to have never checked out! Several of the 40 guest rooms are reported to still have ethereal guests. Fortunately, these spirits more resemble Caspar the Friendly Ghost, than ghouls.

One of the most consistent of these other world visitors can be found in the old hotel bar. A spot between a pillar and the bar near its mid-point is his general station. If you smell the faint aroma of cigar smoke at that place, you are not alone!