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Immediately, the
well-to-do of the nation began to flock to the luxurious resort hotel as
liveried footmen met them at the Frisco depot before transporting them to
the inn. Once there, the guest could not only enjoy the healing
waters of the spa, but also a stable of 100 sleek-coated horses, tea
dances in the afternoon, and elaborate parties every evening with a full
in-house orchestra.
However, the prosperity
was not to last. After the turn of the century, people began to
realize that the acclaimed “healing waters” didn’t have the curative
powers that the hotel and the city were so known for. Little by
little, people stopped coming to the beautiful resort.
From 1908 to 1924, the
building was utilized as the Crescent College and Conservatory for Young
Women, but continued to act as a resort during the summers. However,
after operating for 16 years, the revenues from tuition and summer guests
was not high enough to maintain the costs of running the large building
and the Women’s College closed. After sitting abandoned for the next
six years it briefly reopened as a junior college from 1930 to 1934.
In 1937 a man named
Norman Baker arrived on the scene and bought the aging hotel for the
purpose of opening a cancer hospital and health resort. Advertising
miracle cures that required neither surgery nor painful extensive tests,
the Baker Hospital, alleged that its patients would walk away from the
“resort” cancer-free.
However, what was unknown
to the many desperate patients who flocked to the hospital was that Norman
Baker’s “miracle” was nothing more than a scam that he had been purporting
on unsuspecting patients for years. The man had absolutely no
medical training and had been convicted in Iowa in 1936 for practicing
medicine without a license. Furthermore, the American Medical
Association had condemned the many elixirs that were sold for a number of
different ailments, including cancer.
While operating the
“hospital,” Baker was being investigated by federal authorities and in
1939 was finally arrested for mail fraud. One US Postal Inspector
estimated that Baker had made as much as $500,000 per year, selling his
“miracle elixirs” through the mail while in
Eureka
Springs.
Baker was convicted to
serve a four year sentence in
Leavenworth. The investigation revealed that over the years Baker had defrauded cancer
patients out of approximately $4,000,000. While no one actually died
from Baker’s “cure,” the investigation showed that his treatments most
likely hastened the death of those suffering from cancer when they didn’t
receive effective forms of treatment. In 1944, Baker was released
from
Leavenworth and moved to Florida, where he lived comfortably until his
death in 1958.
During the wars years of
1940 to 1946, the beautiful building once again sat empty. However,
in 1946, the hotel was purchased by four Chicago businessmen who began to
restore the old hotel to its former elegance. Though never at the
level of its first grand days in the late 1800’s, the hotel once again
began to thrive. Unfortunately, tragedy struck in 1967 when a fire
swept through the fourth floor of the south wing and much it was
destroyed.
Over the next several
years, the hotel passed through several hands as repairs and more
restorations were made, but the hotel was never fully restored to its
original grandeur.
However, this all changed
in 1997 when the historic inn was purchased by Marty and Elise Roenigk. In May, 1997, the couple announced, “In five Years, we pledge to have this
‘Grand Lady of The Ozarks’ back to where she was 100 years ago.” But, Ozark residents, having heard these promises too many times before,
were skeptical.
In 1997, the Roenigks
began to rebuild the spas. That first year, a 6,500 square foot “New
Moon Spa” opened which included Vichy showers, a hydrotherapy tub, sauna,
message and therapy tables, tanning beds, and exercise equipment.
The next major project
was to restore the hotel’s skyline which had been destroyed in the 1967
fire. Costing well over a million dollars, the 3,500 square foot
penthouse, original center observation tower and the 200-pound,
24-foot-tall Crescent Moon weathervane were restored.
In the meantime,
restorations of the guest rooms, lounges, electrical and plumbing, and
landscaping was also going on.
On September 6, 2002, The
Roenigk's bold announcement became a reality. After 5 million
dollars in renovations, the grand hotel had been fully restored to its
original stately glory.
Once again, the
Crescent Hotel is one of the most visited hotels in the South. With its
long and extensive history, it is also known to be one of the most haunted
places in the Ozarks. Staff and guests alike tell stories of a
number of ghosts that are still said to inhabit the old hotel.
The most often sighted
apparition is that of an red-haired Irish stonemason, who the staff has
dubbed “Michael.” Allegedly, Michael was one of the original
masons who worked on the building of the hotel in 1885. However,
while working on the roof he lost his balance and fell to the second floor
area and was killed. This area now houses Room 218 of the hotel and
is said to be the most haunted guestroom. Michael is evidently a
mischievous spirit who likes to play tricks with the lights, the doors,
and television, as well as often being heard pounding loudly on the walls. Others have witnessed hands coming out of the bathroom mirror and heard
cries of what sounded like a man falling in the ceiling. Yet other
guests have been shaken during the night, and on one occasion a patron ran
screaming from the room, professing to have seen blood splattered all over
its walls.
From the days when the
old hotel served as Baker’s Cancer Hospital, the lingering spirit of a
nurse, dressed all in white, is often seen pushing a gurney on the third
floor. Only spotted after 11:00 p.m., the time which they used to move
the deceased out the cancer hospital, the ghostly spirit vanishes when she
reaches the end of the hallway. Others who have not seen the apparition
have reported the sounds of squeaks and rattles that sound like a gurney
rolling down the hallway. During the 1930’s, this area was used as
the morgue and even today, still houses “Dr.” Baker’s old autopsy table
and walk-in freezer. Also located on the third floor is the laundry
area, where a hotel maintenance man once witnessed all of the washers and
dryers inexplicably turning on by themselves in the middle of the night.
The apparition of the
greedy “Doctor Baker” himself, has also been seen in the old Recreation
Room in the basement and at the foot of the first floor stairway. Dressed in a purple shirt and white linen suit, and looking somewhat
confused, the apparition appears identical to old photographs of the
infamous “quack.”
For a time, the antique
switchboard continued to be utilized in the hotel, but when it continually
received phone calls from the otherwise empty basement, the use of the old
switchboard was discontinued. It was here in the basement that “Dr.”
Baker’s hapless patients were often convinced of his miracle cures and
handed over their life's savings for the "treatment."
Another remnant of these
old “hospital” days is a ghostly figure who calls herself “Theodora.” Most often seen by housekeepers in Room 419, Theodora courteously
introduces herself as a cancer patient, before quickly vanishing.
In the lobby a gentleman
dressed in formal Victorian clothing, complete with top hat, has often
been spotted at the bottom of the stairway and sitting at the bar. Described as distinguished-looking with a mustache and beard, many have
claimed to entice him into conversation. However, he just sits
quietly and never responds, before he suddenly disappears..
 The
hotel’s Crystal Dining Room, is another place in the hotel that is said to
contain frequent paranormal activities. Here, other Victorian
dressed apparitions have often been encountered. Many have seen groups
of 1890’s dancers, in full-dress attire, whirling around the room in the
wee hours of the morning. Other reports tell of a 19th century
gentleman who has been seen sitting at a table near the windows. When approached, he says, "I saw the most beautiful woman here last night
and I am waiting for her to return."
A former waitress
reported that she spied the vision of a Victorian bride and groom in the
dining room’s huge mirror. The groom allegedly made eye contact with her
before the couple faded away.
The Victorian spirits
that linger in the dining room are said to be very playful, and on one
occasion during the Christmas season, the Christmas tree and all its
packages were found mysteriously moved to the other side of the room. Additionally, all the chairs had been moved to circle or face the
transported tree. On another occasion, staff arrived in the morning
to find the dining room in perfect order, with the exception of all of the
menus scattered about the room.
In the dining room’s
kitchen. the apparition of a small boy has been seen skipping around and
sometimes pots and pans are said to come flying of their hooks of their
own accord.
One other often reported
spirit is that of a young female who once attended the Crescent College
and Conservatory for Young Women, which was open between 1908 and 1924.
According to the tale, the young girl either jumped from or was pushed
from a balcony to her death. Today, guests report hearing her
screams as she falls.
Other apparitions have
been sighted in Room 202 and Room 424, as well as a ghostly waiter
carrying a tray of butter in the hallways.
Whether you visit the historic
Crescent Hotel
to get a peek at one of its many spirits, or simply want to experience its
long history and luxurious accommodations, you will certainly not be
disappointed.
Today, the fully restored hotel creates an
ambience that has transcended time, while providing all the amenities that
the modern day traveler requires. Surrounded by 15 acres of formal gardens
and nature trails, the hotel offers 72 guest rooms, many with their own
balcony, and 12 luxury suites throughout the building. The New Moon
Spa features a full menu of treatments, a salon and a wellness program.
Eureka
Springs is located in just eight miles south of the
Missouri
border in northwest
Arkansas
near Beaver Lake.
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