National Preservation Month 30 Years of the Cook Legacy

This year marks 30 years since one of the most dramatic chapters in the colorful history of West Baden Springs Hotel: a rebirth that transformed a once-crumbling building into a treasured destination once again.

In 1996, Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana and the Cook family of Bloomington, Indiana joined forces in a collaborative effort to save and preserve this National Historic Landmark. Bill and Gayle Cook not only had a passion for the physical restoration of historic buildings in the Hoosier State, but reviving a sense of hope within their local communities.

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Where the Comeback Started

Many called it the "Save of the Century" at the time. Seeing the shape of West Baden Springs Hotel after years of vacancy and neglect, it paints a picture of how dramatic this restoration truly was.

Behind a $35 million initial investment from the Cooks, work began in the summer of 1996 to restore West Baden Springs Hotel to its original grandeur of the early 1900s. The task was nothing short of enormous. Starting in May, we’ll be sharing an extensive collection of newly discovered "before" photos of the West Baden restoration. These never-before-seen photos will be on display in the hotel atrium and in a special online gallery.

 

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Seal Fountain

More than just the hotel structure itself required extensive work. 

Decades of overgrowth overwhelmed the surrounding hotel grounds, including this structure known as the Seal Fountain. Originally placed in the center of the atrium when West Baden Springs Hotel opened in 1902, the Seal Fountain was relocated to the brick drive outside the hotel in 1917. 

Fast-forward to 1996, and the fountain's mortar joints had been split and cracked by brush and roots from wild trees. The fountain was deconstructed with new footers poured, then reassembled to become a beautiful flower basin that greets visitors today.

A fun footnote: It appears the fountain is made of individually laid stones, but that isn't the case. Each octagonal side is a full, sculpted piece of limestone handcrafted by Ferdinand Cross, a renowned artist and stone carver who lived locally.

 

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Arches

This went beyond an aesthetic repair. When the double-arched entry gate to the hotel was fully restored, it made a symbolic statement: after years of false hopes, West Baden Springs Hotel was guaranteed a promising future.

Years of neglect had caused some of the concrete at the base of the arches to crumble, revealing part of the steel skeleton underneath. Repairs to the arches wrapped up quickly, with rebuilt concrete and a fresh coat of paint. On August 28, townspeople gathered for an ice cream social and a relighting of the arches to signify the first step in the hotel's restoration was complete.

 

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Explore More History

Want to learn more about the rich history inside West Baden Springs Hotel and all throughout French Lick Resort? Take a historical tour or one of the other specialty tours offered by Indiana Landmarks. You can even take home a piece of history — Historic Clay Tile Painting is offered daily in the West Baden Springs Hotel atrium, where you can put your unique decorative spin on a clay tile from the hotel’s original construction in 1902.

Resort History