Skip to main content

Cave Spring, Georgia


For centuries, natural springs have been an attraction throughout the United States for tourists, vacationers, and residents alike.  From a break from the hot summer or possible healing remedies, these springs and the communities that surround them have become an oasis from the often stressful and overwhelming city life.

Cave Spring, Georgia is another of those unique spring towns.  Founded in 1832, Cave Spring is home to a limestone cave and spring that produces 2 million gallons of fresh water daily.   

The former Hearn Academy building is located in Rolater Park.

The springs are located within Rolater Park - a widely known community park and attraction.  To visit inside the limestone cave is $2.  The 29-acre park includes numerous historic buildings, including the 1851 Cave Springs Baptist Church, the former Hearn Academy schoolhouse (owned by the church), and the Hearn Inn (a former Academy dorm, now an active Bed & Breakfast).

The Hearn Inn is a former dormitory turned into a Bed & Breakfast.

The springs were well known among the Cherokee - as a source of drinking water and a central site for tribal meetings.  Just outside of the spring sits the Vann Cherokee Cabin.  Built by Avery Vann - a Scottish settler that married a Cherokee woman - it is now part of the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail.

The Vann Cherokee House is considered the second oldest existing two-story Native American home.

The home was part of a community called Beaver Dam, which saw 17 white families from Georgia and Alabama illegally occupying Cherokee homes in February 1830.  The Cherokee were able to evict the squatters - allowing them to leave, then burning down the homes. The next day a small battle broke out, with one Cherokee killed.  As a result, the tribe looked for more political solutions and no longer forcibly removed occupying white families from their homes.  

Downtown Cave Spring

The Vann Cherokee Cabin was for decades incorporated into the Webster-Green Hotel.  When the hotel was condemned and slated for demolition in 2009, the Cave Spring Historical Society led the effort to preserve the cabin.  The cabin was fully restored and opened to the public in 2016.

Linda Marie's Steakhouse is a popular dining spot in Cave Spring.

Downtown Cave Spring is home to several small-town businesses - a hardware store, general store, antique shops, and more.  Of course, there is a coffee and ice cream shop, plus a steakhouse.  Cave Springs hosts numerous festivals throughout the year - including the annual Georgia Mushroom Festival held at the end of September.

All photos were taken by post author - March 16, 2023

Sources & Links:

How To Get There:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bleriot Ferry - Alberta

  Alberta operates six ferries scattered throughout the province. Roughly twenty to twenty-five kilometers up the Red Deer River from the town of Drumheller is one of the most scenic ferry crossings in all of Wild Rose Country, the Bleriot Ferry. Using the North Dinosaur Trail (Alberta Highway 838, or AB 838), the Bleriot Ferry provides a scenic river cruise of sorts in the Canadian Badlands. The Bleriot Ferry started operating in 1913 as the Munson Ferry when a few bridges crossed the Red Deer River. The ferry was started by Andre Bleriot, the brother of famed early aviator Louis Bleriot, who became famous for being the first person to fly over the English Channel. At the time, the Alberta provincial government commissioned local residents to run the ferries. There were several ferries along the Red Deer River, and not only did they serve as vital transportation links, but they also served as local social hubs, since everyone had to take the ferries to go places. Over time, as the...

The Pollasky Bridge

The Pollasky Bridge near modern day Friant is a ruined highway bridge which was completed during early 1906 as part of the Fresno-Fresno Flats Road.  The structure is one of the oldest known arch concrete spans to have been constructed in California.  The bridge briefly carried California State Route 41 following the destruction of the Lanes Bridge in 1940.  The Pollasky Bridge itself was destroyed by flooding during 1951, but the ruins can still be found on the Madera County side of the San Joaquin River.   Pictured as the blog cover is the Pollasky Bridge as it was featured in the 1913 book "The Concrete Bridge."  The structure can be seen crossing the San Joaquin River near Friant below on the 1922 United States Geological Survey Map.   Part 1; the history of the Pollasky Bridge The Pollasky Bridge site is near modern day Friant of Fresno County.  The community of Friant was established as Converse Ferry during 1852 on the San Joaquin Rive...

I-73/I-74 and NC Future Interstates Year in Review 2024

Welcome to another annual review of progress in constructing North Carolina's New and Future Interstate routes. While 2024 was not too exciting, with no new segments of major routes opening, there was 1 new interstate signing, another proposed new interstate route, and the near opening of a new segment for 2 routes. As tradition, I will start off with a review of what happened with I-73 and I-74 and then move on to the major news of the year about the other new and future routes. Work continued on the I-73/I-74 Rockingham Bypass through the year. The last few months have been hoping for news of its opening before 2025, without luck. Signs of its near completion included the placement of new signs, many with interstate shields uncovered, along the Bypass and intersecting roadways. For example, these went up along US 74 East: Overhead signage at Business 74 exit which contains the future ramp to I-73 North/I-74 West. Signage was also updated heading west on US 74 approaching the unop...