The Greenbrier

Early development

A spring of sulphur water is at the center of the property, surrounded by the white-columned spring house, topped by the green dome that has been the symbol of the Greenbrier for generations. Beginning in 1778, Mrs. Anderson, a local pioneer, adopted the local Native American tradition of "taking the waters" to relieve her chronic rheumatism. Based on this resource, for the first 125 years, the resort was known by the name White Sulphur Springs. It was a destination for people during the summers who wanted to escape coastal heat and diseases.^[14] As the resort developed, cottages were built, many of which still stand. Notable guests included Martin Van Buren and Henry Clay.

In 1858, the Grand Central Hotel was built. It came to be known as "The White" and, later, "The Old White". During the Civil War, as control of the property passed between the Confederate Army and the Union Army, it was almost burned to the ground.

After the Civil War, the resort reopened under Confederate Major Cornelius Boyle and became a vacation place for Southerners and Northerners alike. The "White Sulphur Manifesto",^[15] the only political paper published by Confederate General Robert E. Lee after the Civil War, advocated the merging of the two sides. The resort became a center of regional post-war society after the arrival of the railroad, which provided direct service to the resort's gates by 1869.

The Greenbrier

In 1910, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad purchased the property and added the current bath wing, which opened in 1911. C&O's improvements also included a six-story, 250-room hotel, the central wing of the present hotel. Designed by Frederick Julius Sterner, it opened in 1913. At this time, what was for decades a summer establishment converted to year-round service, and the name was changed to the Greenbrier, for neighboring Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The town, incorporated in 1909, adopted the name White Sulphur Springs, which the resort used previously. The railroad introduced the game of golf, which became a defining feature of the resort. The first small course opened in 1910, and a full 18-hole course, designed by Charles B. Macdonald, in 1913. That course is today known as "The Old White TPC". The Old White Hotel structure was demolished in 1922 when it failed to meet fire codes. In 1931, completion of the north wing, crossing the original 1913 wing like a "T", nearly doubled the hotel's size.

During World War II, the resort was called to serve as a relocation center for Axis diplomats held as enemies of the United States. The first detainees were German; later, they were joined by Japanese diplomats previously kept at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia.^[16][17]

The hotel briefly reopened in 1942, until commandeered by the U.S. Army as a hospital. The Army converted it to the 2000-bed Ashford General Hospital, named for Bailey Ashford. 25,000 patients had been treated when the property was sold back to C&O in 1946.

C&O hired internationally renowned interior designer Dorothy Draper to redecorate and restore the Greenbrier. Draper oversaw every element of the property's design, combining bold colors, classical influences, and modern touches. The reopening in April 1948 was an international social event. Notable attendees included the Duke of Windsor and his wife, Wallis Simpson (who honeymooned with her first husband at the Greenbrier in 1916), Bing Crosby, and members of the Kennedy family. The resort has also hosted foreign dignitaries, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, high-level discussions on the allocation of the Allies' resources during World War II, and post-war North American talks in 1955.^[18][19]

The Bunker

In the late 1950s, the U.S. government approached the Greenbrier for the creation of a secret emergency relocation center to house Congress in the event of a nuclear holocaust. The classified underground facility, "Project Greek Island",^[12][13] was built at the same time as the West Virginia Wing, an above-ground hotel addition, from 1959 to 1962.^[10][11]

The bunker was kept stocked with supplies, but never used as an emergency location, and its existence was not acknowledged by the government. After Ted Gup of The Washington Post reported on it in 1992,^[7][8][9] the government immediately decommissioned the bunker. Following renovations, the space is now used as a data storage facility by CSX IP^[20] for the private sector and is open to the public.

Justice family ownership

In 2009, the resort filed for bankruptcy, listing debts of up to $500 million and assets of $100 million. It was hurt by competition from other resorts, and declining post-war traffic as patrons shifted to destinations they could reach by automobile. The resort lost $35 million in 2008 and laid off 650 employees, or half its workforce. After an initial announcement of a sale to Marriott,^[21] Justice Family Group, LLC purchased the resort for $20 million.^[22][23] Marriott asserted a valid contract, but settled with Justice.^{[24][25][26][27]}

The resort closed briefly after the 2016 West Virginia flood, though flood victims were offered rooms.^[28]

When Justice was elected governor in 2017, his daughter took over day-to-day control at Greenbrier.^{[citation needed]} Greenbrier has been used as collateral for loans taken out by the Justice family, including to both Carter Bank & Trust as well as a $50 million loan from JPMorgan Chase, and tax liens have been placed on other Justice properties for non-payment of taxes, for which the Justices have been in court several times.^[29] In 2024, the hotel narrowly avoided foreclosure after JP Morgan Chase sold a loan it held to Beltway Capital, which declared Greenbrier in default.^[30]

In 2026, a subsidiary of TRT Holdings, parent company of Omni Hotels & Resorts, acquired from Carter Bank & Trust $289 million in past‑due, first‑lien loans tied to the Greenbrier.^[31][32] The purchase did not transfer ownership of the resort. However, White Sulphur Springs Holdings LLC, the TRT subsidiary that acquired the debt, later filed in federal court seeking appointment of a receiver to take control of the property.^[33] The Justice family subsequently filed a separate lawsuit in state court alleging that TRT and Carter Bank acted improperly in their efforts to assume control of the resort.^[34] Litigation in both courts is ongoing.

The Casino Club at the Greenbrier

In 2008, voters narrowly approved a referendum that would permit casino-style gambling at the hotel. The Justice family promised that gambling facilities at the resort would be "tasteful" if established.^[35] The temporary Tavern Casino opened in 2009, followed by the permanent Casino Club at the Greenbrier in 2010. Simulcast horse racing and associated betting were added in 2013.