Capon Springs & Farms

Change is everywhere. We can’t get away from it. The young are hungry for more, better and faster while the more mature are just plain exhausted. Is there anywhere on this planet that allows an individual to slow the pace down enough so we can re-evaluate the direction life is taking us? The answer is yes and it’s called Capon Springs and Farms in Capon Springs, West Virginia.

The resort is purposely designed as a haven in which one can escape year after year and find little to no change taking place. The environment is safe, clean, healthy and peaceful. The rooms have no televisions or phones – that’s deliberate. The meal times are scheduled and all the food is home cooked – from scratch – with the menu rarely changing. Each day of the week you know what is going to be waiting for you in the dining room. You don’t have to rush to the dining hall in order to get a table because your table – the one you were escorted to the very first day - is the table at which you will sit for all your meals every day you are at the resort.

The entire property is designed to create quiet spaces that most of us rarely find in today’s fast moving lifestyle. There are fountains and other sources of fresh water running throughout the resort. You hear birds chirping, maybe for the first time since your last get-a-way. There is even a curfew. At 11PM residents can begin to move back toward their rooms or mini-lodges to either turn in for the night or take a quiet evening stroll. But whatever their choice, all guests know that the property is going to be peaceful until breakfast.

Doesn’t it sound too good to be true? It is a place where all your basic needs are taken care of and you don’t have to be involved except to show up.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Capon Springs resort offers you the rare opportunity to slip back into a time when the world just didn’t turn quite so fast. The rooms, clean and comfortable, are designed with rest and relaxation in mind. Although the resort has no control over cell towers, even cell phone reception is poor in this section of the county. Everything about the resort and how it is set up is designed to remove as many distractions as possible. It’s a way to halt life just long enough to smell the roses once again.

What does one do for fun at Capon Springs? Do people get bored? Jonathan Bellingham, grandson of Lou and Virginia Austin, laughs, “You sleep well and soundly, read, sit in the sun, swim in the pool fed by natural spring water, get a massage, soak in warm baths that are kept at 102 degrees, play golf, ping pong, go for nature walks, join watercolor classes and even wellness classes. There is even a campfire sing-a-long in the evening where everyone can enjoy a great hot dog on the most spectacular homemade bun this side of heaven. I might add, you don’t come here to lose weight”, he laughs.

“My grandfather was very wise and understood how important it is to get off of life’s treadmill to re-evaluate or at the very least, get some well-deserved rest. He wanted our guests to have at least one place on the planet where safety dictated that children can wander anywhere on the property and be safe, where respect for one another is encouraged by positive peer pressure that moves everyone who stays here to do the right thing every day, all day while at the resort.” Jonathan continues, “There is no preferential treatment at the resort.

It doesn’t make any difference who you are or what you do outside this property – all are treated equally here. Where in this world can you just be yourself with no expectations except to be honest and neighborly? That’s why people come back here two or three times a year and others spend every vacation here year after year.”

When Lou and Virginia Austin, Jonathon’s grandparents, purchased the property in 1932 where the spring was located, their purpose was to maintain the water bottling business. Purchasing the spring’s water source just happened to include remains of the once thriving resort and the nearly 5000 acres surrounding it. Initially they tried to support the property and themselves by selling bottles of the legendary healing waters that flow throughout the Capon Springs property. While running the bottling company, friends and family kept coming up to stay with them because the property was so beautiful and peaceful. The Austin’s had not intended to re-build the resort, but by the late 30’s they began to put money back into the property and the resort just kind of evolved from there.

During these early years, Lou was going through a spiritual transformation. He began to recognize that God desires to work through us and be a spiritual partner in all we do. He knew that Capon Springs was a gift that he had been entrusted with and he wanted to show his gratitude to God for being his personal spiritual partner. He wanted all his business dealings to be operated according to God’s standards – not the standards of the world.

These personal revelations left a permanent imprint on this third generation of family owners. Lou’s philosophy of life became the foundational inspiration for the newest family members when they wrote the following Mission Statement for the Resort - “To sustain Capon as a business and as a home, we share our heritage with guests, primarily through a summer resort. We expect the best of ourselves and look for the best in others.” This Mission Statement is Lou’s grandchildren’s way of building on his legacy.

Jonathan says, “Everything here at the resort is based on the honor system. If a guest comes into the snack shop and doesn’t have the right change or has left his wallet in his/her room, they can take the soda or snack and just record their purchase on the wall. They can pay for it later or when they check out at the end of their stay.”

He continues, “When a guest comes here they enter an environment where everyone, guests and staff, operate from the best part of who we all are. I know that sounds impossible, but it’s been going on here since the early 1900’s.”

He adds, “Recently one of our guests stated to me that “I wish I could be this way in the outside world.” What a testimony to the character of the family and staff who run the resort year after year.

According to Jonathan, “The families who come here year after year also do not like things to change at the resort. They get a little bent out of shape if the menu is tweaked or we add too many amenities. We, the younger family owners, had to learn what grandfather already knew. People like the resort just the way it is.”

“People even got upset when we replaced the old metal shower stalls that didn’t allow you to bathe without banging your elbows with the larger, more modern stalls. We have learned to make only the changes that are necessary to keep the resort well functioning. Our guests do not come here to experience what other resorts provide. They come here for the Capon experience.”

One of the long time guests, Pat Roushakes, arrived just as Jonathan and I were completing our time together. She had brought her water color class out from Washington DC that day to introduce them to the resort. Pat regularly escapes her busy city life by coming to Capon Springs. She has been coming here for her family respites for over 30 years.

When asked why she comes back so frequently, she laughs “Oh, I come back to see Jonathan. Seriously, coming here is like coming home to visit family. It’s like having a very large extended family when you become a repeat guest like me. All the children know each other and actually grow up with one another on these vacations. My children are all grown now, but they still look forward to coming back here at least once a year.”

Why does she come so often? She smiles and says, “I just need the Capon experience in my life. It’s hard to explain to someone who has never come here. Even packing is simple. I throw in some jeans, t-shirts and a hat and I’m ready to go. The moment I come over that mountain, I think my blood pressure drops 20 points.” she laughs. “When I leave here I am absolutely rested.”

“What makes the Capon experience so unique are the people. This is a place where you can put the world behind you the moment you drive onto the property. You are safe and free to drop all pretenses. If you bring your children and take your eye off a child for a moment, there’s no need to panic. Someone else is watching the child – someone who cares. The people who come here really care about each other.”

I keep hearing the phrase “Capon experience”. What exactly does that mean? Pat smiles and says, “I can’t really describe it. It truly is something you have to experience for yourself.”

Capon Springs and Farms just celebrated 75 years as a resort the first week of May. Jonathan muses, “It was interesting to hear the same theme in all the comments from the guests who had been here at least 75 times. The people who were asked to share their experiences at the resort were from every walk of life imaginable, yet all were emotional in their comments about this place. They may have used different ways to express their fondness, but the bottom line somehow ended up the same. They really love it here.”

There is a tremendous amount of historical information on this very special resort, but after spending time with Jonathan, guests and running into previous staff members of the resort, it seemed more appropriate to communicate the heart of Capon Springs and Farms. Facts are easy to obtain, but the heart attitude that built the resort and maintains the character of the resort isn’t recorded in any history book. One has to either know some of the people who bring heart to the organization or one has to actually go experience it personally.

The name Capon Springs and Farms should really have the word family in it somewhere. That is how everyone refers to each other – whether guests, staff or owners – everyone considers themselves a family member. Harry B. Thayer once said, “As are families, so is society. If well ordered, well instructed, and well governed, they are the springs from which go forth the streams of national greatness and prosperity - of civil order and public happiness.”

For all readers who have worked at or been guests of Capon Springs and Farms, the above quote will be meaningful. If you have not yet had the “Capon experience”, consider experiencing a visit to the resort. Once you do, you will then understand the above remarks about family.

To learn more about Capon Springs and Farms fill out the online form or call them at 304-874-3695.