Chalybeate Springs Hotel
Also known as: The Chalybeate
Why it's listed
Along Chalybeate Road northeast of Bedford Borough stands a hotel complex built around a mineral spring whose water is impregnated with iron compounds. The core is a two-storey, three-bay brick residence of about 1851 in the Pennsylvania Federal style, to which a brick front wing of about 1867 and a rear L-shaped wing of about 1885 were joined, all on fieldstone foundations and connected by continuous porches. The spring sits immediately behind the hotel. The site was commercially developed as a health resort around 1867, shortly after three railroad lines reached Bedford County, and attracted visitors seeking mineral water cures. Its earlier history includes ownership by merchant George Funk, who bought the tract in 1786. The hotel buildings and spring are regarded as essentially intact examples of late nineteenth-century spa development. The complex is now vacant, and a detached barn on the site is badly deteriorated.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the complex is a surviving representative example of late 19th and early 20th century commercial spa and resort development. It states that the hotel buildings and the adjacent iron-bearing spring remain essentially intact, and that visitors included prominent Americans, including at least three Presidents of the United States.
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 85001560, listed July 18, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Chalybeate Rd., Bedford Borough |
|---|---|
| County | Bedford County |
| Listed | July 18, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85001560 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1867-1913 |
| Architectural style | Pennsylvania Federal style (residence) |
| Areas of significance | Commerce |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant; most recently used as 13 apartments |
| Acreage | 5.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.02527, -78.47535 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 85001560.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5069096
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.