Drainage project leads to historical discovery at French Lick Resort
What started as a drainage project turned into a historical discovery at the French Lick Resort in West Baden, Indiana.
Workers found a long-buried spring – dubbed the Neptune Spring – that guests to the resort enjoyed from 1892 until the late 1910s, officials said.
The spring had been buried for more than 100 years. It's located in the East Park of the resort by the old train station.
"No one knew it still existed," said Chuck Franz, vice president of Cook Group, which owns the resort. "We get into one project and unearth something else."
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The Neptune Spring most likely was abandoned due to flooding. It originally had a 30-foot-tall, canopy-like structure over it.
Recently, a pond had formed over the spot. Justin Harris, director of facilities for the resort, said when crews went to work draining the water, they found the old spring.
"It is such an amazing piece of history," Harris said. "We want it to be a feature."
The facilities crew was working on renovating the Bowling & Billiard Pavilion area of the property and needed good soil for berms. Harris used the soil that was covering the sidewalk to the spring. After uncovering the sidewalks, they found them in decent condition but broken up, almost like cobblestone.
It is the only original spring water on the property, and it still has a long way to go until it is cleaned up and ready for public display.
There are currently barriers around it to keep people away because it is still considered hazardous. The steps leading down to the basin don't have rails and water is still pooling.
The resort plans on routing drainage for the spring and preserving it.
Alexa Shrake can be reached by email at AShrake@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Drainage project leads to historical discovery at West Baden Springs
