PENCE SPRINGS, (Hinton News) – William Jones is back with another edition of A Peek into Summers County’s Past. Each week, Jones provides items from his vast collection of objects from local history for discussion. In this edition, he has provided information and memorabilia from the Pence Springs Hotel.
Jones has actively collected items of this nature for many years. He said his journey to these particular artifacts began with a letter to the editor in 2004.
“Sometime around 2004, I had written a letter to the editor looking for pieces of local history. More specifically, Pence Springs memorabilia. Mr. ‘Jimmy’ Johnson, an older gentleman from Alderson, read my letter and contacted me. He invited me to his home, where he then gifted me a few pieces from Pence Springs; an original water shipping crate from the 1910s, a few of the original pamphlets from the hotel, a Weller planter that sat on the front porch of the hotel and a few paper artifacts. He then explained his family’s connection with the hotel and told me to contact his children after he had passed about purchasing the other items that he had from the hotel.”
According to Jones, Johnson’s connection to the hotel dates back to the mid-1920s. During this time, a relative of Johnson, John William Johnson, acquired the property.
“Jimmy’s great great uncle, John William Johnson, acquired the Pence Springs Hotel in the mid 1920s and operated it until his death in December 1930. Robert Johnson, Jimmy’s grandfather, was one of the individuals tasked with handling John’s estate and caretaker of the hotel complex for the 14 years it took to secure the sale of the hotel to Hugh and Hall Adams Corporation of Huntington, WV, for $27,500.00 in 1944.”
It was during those 14 years that some of the historical items discussed here were obtained, Jones stated.
“In that 14 years, Jimmy went with his grandfather regularly to the hotel property to look after it. During that phase, Jimmy and his family ended up bringing several pieces of historical importance home with them. This included a 26-piece set of the original blue drinking goblets from when the hotel first opened in 1918, eight matching sherberts, seven pieces of the original 1918 flatware that has ‘Pence Springs Hotel’ etched on the handles and a miniature set of tongs (see photo for a close up ‘Pence Springs Hotel’ on the handle of the flatware), two Weller planters that sat on the front porch from the same period, some of the original wicker from the porch and the original 1918 minute book, 32 Pence Springs water analysis papers from the 1910s and 23 fold-out pamphlets for the hotel from the 1920s.”
Sadly, Johnson passed away in 2015. When 2018 rolled around, Jones was able to get in touch with his family regarding the other items from the hotel. He said, “I knew Jimmy had passed away in 2015 but never heard about his estate sale. Three years later, in 2018, I emailed his son Tom Johnson who informed me they were having his estate sale that coming weekend. He put me in touch with his sister Barbra Sanders about procuring the items from the Pence Springs Hotel.”
He continued saying, “It is a good thing that Mr Johnson and his family were able to save these items at the time because in 1946, the West Virginia State Board of Control purchased the hotel to convert into The State Prison for Women. Hugh and Hall Adams Corporation planned on opening the complex as a health resort for nine months out of the year. This corporation retained the nearby spring property, which contained the bottling plant along with the trade names and trade-mark used in connection with the sulphur water.”
After contacting Barbara Sanders, Jones met with her and purchased multiple items. Speaking about the encounter, he said, “I met with Barbra that week and purchased the blue stemware, flatware and the other Weller planter. I then went back that following Saturday to attend the estate sale where in carrying on their fathers generosity, I was given the ledger book, water analysis and advertisements as a gift; extraordinary pieces of Pence Springs history.”
Not only did Jones gain fantastic historical items from his initial letter, but he also gained precious connections.
“I remember writing that letter in 2004 and thinking it wouldn’t amount to anything. Not only did it help me secure pieces at the time but it created a wonderful friendship with Mr. Johnson that would last 11 years until he passed away. But it had a ripple effect of staying in contact with his children and getting the chance to secure even more pieces rich in local history to be saved for future generations.”
Check back next week for another edition of A Peek into Summers County’s Past. Jones will be back with more fascinating objects from the county’s history.
If you have a story from Summers County’s past that you would like to share, send us an email at news@hintonnews.com.
