Editing Beersheba Springs, Tennessee (section)

===Beersheba Springs resort===
In 1854 Colonel [[John Armfield]], a planter and former [[History of slavery in Louisiana|slave trader]] based in [[Alexandria, Virginia]] and New Orleans, Louisiana, acquired the property. He transported upwards of 100 slaves to Beersheba Springs to develop the property as a resort destination with a new luxury hotel, cabins and grounds to accommodate 400 guests. The resort also featured laundry facilities, ice houses, [[billiard room]]s, and [[bowling alley]]s. French chefs were brought in to serve guests, as were musical acts from [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]].<ref name="BeerTSLA"/>

Enslaved African Americans built a wooden [[observatory]] at the front of the hotel. From the observatory, white guests could watch [[Confederate States Army|Confederate]] and [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] armies battle during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. Eventually the threat of war, raids, and plundering caused a decline in visitors to Beersheba Springs. It was sold to Northern investors.<ref name="BeerTSLA"/>

The resort re-opened in the 1870s during the Reconstruction era, but it never returned to its former glory. In 1940, the [[Methodist Church]] purchased the resort and re-opened it for assembly and summer camps. 

Architecturally the resort remains largely unchanged, although in the late 20th century,  parts of the hotel were "modernized" or restored.<ref name="BeerTSLA"/> The camp now serves as the site of the annual Beersheba Springs Arts and Craft Fair.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.beershebaassembly.com/|title=Beersheba Springs Assembly|language=en|access-date=February 19, 2019}}</ref> It is still a site for Methodist Church assemblies and summer camps.

In 1980 the resort area was placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="NHRP">{{cite web | author= | year=2011 | title=Beersheba Springs Historic District | work=Database | publisher=American Dreams, Inc. | url=http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/tn/Grundy/state.html | access-date= November 4, 2011}}</ref>