The Haunted History of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa

The Haunted History of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa PDF

Author: John Sabol

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2018-08-07

Total Pages: 246

ISBN-13: 9781723145339

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A human presence has 'occupied' the interior spaces of Bedford Springs for more than 200 years. It has never been 'unoccupied', even during the period in its history when Bedford Springs ceased to function as a 'living' tourist accommodation (1986-2007). During this 'dead time', the hotel complex continued to function for the 'ghosts' of its past, and 'they' still do today. Many of these 'ghosts' have been identified as former 'guests' or staff who remain or come back to 'haunt' (as a 'return') to spaces remembered (or work labored) as a place of leisure, comfort, and unique experience. The image of the hauntings at Bedford Springs is the re-conceptualization of the landscape based on notions of corporeality, on the interaction between remembering and being entertained, and on an alternative view of time that has not yet passed. Bedford Springs is a place of people and 'ghosts' becoming present, the presence of the past in the present. Our 'haunted history' tours, now two years old, affords this 'haunting' character to remain present today.

The Haunting of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa

The Haunting of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort and Spa PDF

Author: John G. Sabol

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2016-09-21

Total Pages: 108

ISBN-13: 9781537781730

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The Bedford Springs Resort and Spa is haunted. This haunting takes the form of two materializations. First are the historical documents, objects, and photographs on display there, the things left behind. The second involves those presences who have remained behind and/or have returned, former guests who continue to partake of the 'Bedford Springs Experience'. These returning guests are not professional 'ghosts', those encountered on 'ghost hunts' or sensed by mediums. They are also not commercial 'ghosts', those marketed by the resort for their economic potential. These ghosts are those frequently encountered by both staff and guests during the daily activities and routine tasks performed there. They add an uncanny element to the social character that is the Bedford Springs Resort and Spa.

Victorian Ghosts of the Omni Bedford Springs

Victorian Ghosts of the Omni Bedford Springs PDF

Author: John G. Sabol

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-05

Total Pages: 94

ISBN-13: 9781546392798

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There are many different past presences that continue to 'reside' at Bedford Springs as 'permanent' guests. That is part of the charm of Bedford Springs, its haunting ambiance. In this book, however, the focus will center on the continuing Victorian presence at Bedford Springs. Many contemporary 'sightings', from both staff and guests, have involved Victorian ghosts. Is this mere coincidence, a mistaken identity of perception, a 'normalcy' turned 'anomaly', or is it something more? We will explore that latter possibility: the Victorian ghost as 'returning guest'. We will also discuss why they may return and become attached to the 'Bedford Springs experience', a 'return' that still continues through time.

The Haunting Presences of the Omni Bedford Springs

The Haunting Presences of the Omni Bedford Springs PDF

Author: John G. Sabol

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-03-27

Total Pages: 118

ISBN-13: 9781544847313

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At Bedford Springs, seeped in and surrounded by re-collected things, beings, and atmospheres, remembrance comes in multiple forms: historical documents and photographs, in the exhibition and use of antique furniture, in the daily practices of a contemporary, modern resort. It even comes in the form of 'ghost tours' that emphasize the archaeological and anthropological routes and roots of layers of embedded memories. Finally, it materializes as 'ghostly presences' who remain attached to that unique and lasting Bedford Springs experience.

The Bedford Springs Hotel

The Bedford Springs Hotel PDF

Author: Alison Reed Ross

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 0738592986

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The Bedford Springs Hotel, located in a valley in the heart of the Allegheny Mountains, has a rich and fascinating history spanning over 200 years. Established in the 1790s by Dr. John Anderson, who gained his knowledge of the therapeutic mineral springs from local Native Americans, the spa resort drew visitors to the almost magical curative waters in search of renewed health and vitality. Bedford Springs grew to be a popular and fashionable summer resort destination throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, hosting industrialists and socialites and even serving as the summer White House. After housing a US Navy training school and Japanese diplomat detainees during World War II , the Bedford Springs Hotel attracted resort goers until the late 1980s, when it closed its doors. The expansive property sat silently, but elegantly, for two decades before its 2007 rebirth as the luxurious Omni Bedford Springs Resort.

Walking the Ghostly Spaces of Bedford Springs

Walking the Ghostly Spaces of Bedford Springs PDF

Author: John G. Sabol

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-08-02

Total Pages: 90

ISBN-13: 9781974093663

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In this book an emphasis is placed on an archaeological approach to a haunted building complex. Within its walls, multiple layers of construction, functionality, social occupation, cultural tradition, memory, and presence are present (and materializing). The Omni Bedford Springs and Spa complex is viewed as a tangible and material 'bricolage', or haunted 'brick (and limestone) collage' of past presences. Its historical evolution of (and 'revolutionary') sociability has created and enabled different senses of place (as experience and memory) to become embedded and attached to a constructed social reality of this well-known tourist destination. The tour will map out this haunted space.

Haunted by History Vol. 1

Haunted by History Vol. 1 PDF

Author: Craig Owens

Publisher:

Published: 2017-09

Total Pages: 393

ISBN-13: 9780997688115

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Haunted by History, Volume I, by Craig Owens uncovers little known facts about eight prominent historic hotels in Southern California and the origins behind many of their ghost stories. Not only does his well-documented research separate facts from legends, but Owens also keeps the subject matter interesting by interweaving historic photos with his own elaborately staged Old Hollywood-style photos shot in the most haunted rooms, hallways, and lobbies. This unique book blends solid research, fascinating insights, and haunting photography that will appeal to believers and non-believers alike. Hotels and inns featured in Vol. 1 are the Hotel del Coronado, the Victorian Rose Bed & Breakfast, the Julian Gold Rush Hotel, the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, the Alexandria Hotel, the Wyndham Garden Pierpont Inn, the Banning House Lodge, and the Glen Tavern Inn. Recipient of the Publishers Weekly Starred Review in 2018. Winner of the Eric Hoffer Shortlist Award and its Legacy Honorable Mention in 2020. In 2021, bookauthority.org listed it as the No. 2 best selling book on Photography Hotels of all-time.

Ligonier Valley Vignettes

Ligonier Valley Vignettes PDF

Author: Jennifer Sopko

Publisher: American Chronicles

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781609495824

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Secluded between Laurel Mountain and Chestnut Ridge, the Ligonier Valley has been the mountain playground of western Pennsylvania since the nineteenth century. Yet this picturesque retreat was at the tumultuous center of history--during the French and Indian War, Fort Ligonier was key to the British strategy, and in the late nineteenth century, the Ligonier Valley Rail Road helped transform the industry of the region. Author Jennifer Sopko traces the story of the valley and its residents through a series of fascinating vignettes. From the earliest histories to nostalgic reminiscences of the Ligonier Opera House, socials at the Valley Dairy ice cream parlor and bygone days at Idlewild Park, Sopko captures the history and spirit of the Ligonier Valley and its communities.