Glen-Ella Springs Hotel
Also known as: Rocky Bottom Farm
Why it's listed
Set in a valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Tallulah Falls, this frame hotel grew in three stages from a c. 1870 farmhouse built by the Davidson family. A three-story residence hall followed around 1885 and a two-story middle section around 1900. Pine floors and paneling, fieldstone foundations and chimneys, and railroad rails used as fireplace lintels show the use of local materials. The plain interiors reflected the purity and health guests hoped to gain at a mineral springs. The complex also includes a log barn, a smokehouse, a mineral spring and a stone tablet listing the water's contents. Summer visitors from South Georgia arrived by the Tallulah Falls Railroad and were met by mule-drawn surrey. The hotel declined after the falls were harnessed for power in 1918 and ceased hotel operation in the late 1920s, later becoming Rocky Bottom Farm. It is considered one of the last mineral springs hotels in Georgia and reopened as an inn in 1987.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a rare surviving example of the multi-storied, gabled, springs-oriented hotels once common in 19th-century Georgia. It also reflects North Georgia's resort era, when railroad tourism to Tallulah Falls brought summer guests to the mountains. Its simple frame construction and local materials illustrate a typical mineral springs inn.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 89002270, listed January 4, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Tallulah Falls on Co. Rd. 218, Turnerville |
|---|---|
| County | Habersham County |
| Listed | January 4, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89002270 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c. 1870-1939 |
| Architectural style | OTHER: Vernacular Victorian |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Rehabilitated and reopened in 1987 as a modern inn with a public dining room; current function is hotel. |
| Acreage | 11.8 |
| Coordinates | 34.72009, -83.44819 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 89002270.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q111394543
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.