The bunker in Greenbrier: marvelous luxury for Judgment Day (12 photos)

Greenbrier is a luxury resort located in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia. It has been around since 1778 and has been welcoming guests ever since.





Greenbrier is located on 11,000 acres and features 710 guest rooms. There are about 20 restaurants, 55 indoor and outdoor entertainment venues, and 36 retail stores to keep guests entertained.



Allegheny Mountains

The resort has hosted 26 presidents, the last of whom was Dwight D. Eisenhower. However, this monumental building also houses a secret and secure bunker built deep underground. How did it come to be, and what was its purpose?

The Early Days of Greenbrier





A Sprawling Resort Surrounded by Mountains

The building was first mentioned in 1778, when it was called White Sulphur Springs. People began coming here to soak in the waters and escape the summer heat.

A prominent Baltimore family named Calwell bought the property in the 19th century and began developing the large property into a resort.

They sold the cottages, which still stand today, to prominent Southern families, including the founder of the Democratic Party, Martin Van Buren, and Henry Clay Sr., a lawyer and statesman from Kentucky who served in the U.S. House and Senate.



An old gazebo on the property

With their profits, the Culwells built a large hotel on the site. However, it did not last long, as the Civil War brought devastation to Virginia. The hotel changed hands between the Union and Confederate armies, and both armies nearly burned it to the ground.

When peace returned to the country, the resort opened. This time it became more popular with both northern and southern visitors. In addition, the hotel became a venue for post-war conferences.

Transformation into the Greenbrier



The building in 1916

The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway purchased the resort property and continued to build infrastructure facilities. Improvements went as far as building a 250-room hotel, which became the main wing of the resort. It was designed by Frederick Julius Sterner. It was from this point that the resort became open year-round and became the Greenbrier.

The railroad brought more customers and visitors, as well as golf, which became the defining feature of the resort. The first course opened in 1910, and an even larger one opened in 1913. Over the years, restoration and construction took place until the United States government took over in 1941.



Immediately after the United States entered World War II, the Greenbrier Resort was needed by the authorities. It was to be used as a relocation center for diplomats from the Axis countries.

The first prisoners were of German descent, but they were soon joined by Japanese diplomats. It served in this role until July 8, 1942. It briefly reopened to the public in the summer of 1942, but was soon recaptured by the U.S. government.

Greenbrier was then converted into a 2,000-bed Army hospital, which became known as Ashford General Hospital. The hospital treated approximately 25,000 patients before it closed on June 30, 1946.

Bunker



This would not be the last time the government would use this magnificent estate for its own selfish purposes. In the late 1950s, the U.S. government turned to Greenbrier again for a secret emergency center. Its purpose was to house Congress in the event of a nuclear explosion.



North Wing

Known as the "Greek Island Project," it was built alongside additional upgrades to the resort complex, including the West Virginia Wing between 1959 and 1962. It seemed that if the resort was to be a refuge for U.S. leaders, it would have to be equipped with the utmost amenities.



The bunker remained filled with supplies for over 30 years, but was never used. However, the government did not acknowledge the existence of the facility.



It was discovered almost by accident in 1992 by Ted Gap of the Washington Post. Only then was the facility decommissioned. Since then, it has been renovated and used as a data storage facility. It has also become a tourist attraction.



Door to the bunker

Since 2006, it has been open to the public for tours. It can be visited, but filming is prohibited inside the bunker. Greenbrier has captured the imagination of many and even featured in the popular video game Fallout 76.



There were rumors that after the discovery of Greenbrier, a new bunker was built, even more secret and even more secure. However, no evidence was found to prove this was the case. Most likely, even if such a bunker does exist, the government will guard it even more carefully than this one.