Hotel West Virginian
The Hotel West Virginian, only an earshot from the famous Greenbrier Resort in White Water Springs, West Virginia, was demolished despite a promise that it was to be renovated.
Constructed in 1930 by Constantine Thymius, a Greek contractor, for Theodore Soure, the hotel opened with 22 guest rooms and the White Sulphur Restaurant (1). The relatively small restaurant was operated by Theodore and John and Nick Argyrakis, both Greek immigrants, who operated the restaurant for a number of years. The hotel featured an “Old World” design, inspired by Edward Simpson’s antique shop at The Greenbrier.
The hotel closed in the 1980′s and was subsequently owned by John Bell, a Lewisburg contractor (2). It was then sold to The Greenbrier in 2003 for $160,000 under the assumption that the structure would be preserved and renovated. The Simpson-Taylor Building adjacent to the hotel was also purchased for $250,000 under the same assumptions. Under a year of evaluation and research, however, it was discovered that there was significant structural problems, especially to the West Virginian Hotel, along with numerous safety concerns. Both were also not eligible for full historic tax credit. Before demolition, Bell was given access to hotel to strip the building of any value so that it could possibly be used in a current or future building in the city.
The Greenbrier also owned the former Alvon Hotel, which opened in 1920 and was demolished in 1995 under similar circumstances (2).
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Very nice article, but if I may offer a correction: the actual name of the “Greek contractor” who built the hotel in 1930 was Frank Thymius (my grandfather). “Constantine” Thymius was/is the name of his younger son (my uncle), who played in the Greenbrier Hotel’s orchestra for many years.
I’m sorry to hear that the hotel was demolished; my grandfather was rather proud of it. We have photos taken by my grandfather during the construction of the West Virginian. If you are interested, I can scan them and send them to you if you would like.