French Lick Springs Hotel is named after the town of French Lick, which Americans have regarded as a luxurious holiday destination for centuries. Settlers arriving in the surrounding valley during the early 1800s discovered a series of soothing sulfur springs that many believed to possess medicinal properties. It did not take long for some of those people to commercialize the springs as a vacation retreat for mentally weary and physically ailing travelers. A vibrant community gradually developed around the location, which formed the nucleus of modern-day French Lick. The town continued to grow in popularity to the point where the Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville Railway built an exclusive passenger line known as the “Monon Railroad.” French Lick quickly arose as a renowned resort town as thousands of people traveled to the area for its supposed healing qualities. By the end of the 19th century, this reputation had even elevated French Lick into one of the epicenters for the era’s contemporary health movement. French Lick’s popularity continued unabated among American travelers during the first few decades of the 20th century. Many of the nation’s most illustrious citizens frequently made trips out to French Lick, including the likes of actor John Barrymore, composer Irving Berlin, and gangster Al Capone.

The area’s main resort hotels soon became central to the emerging culture of America’s Jazz Age, with exciting dance parties seemingly happening every weekend. But some of this luster disappeared when the Great Depression hit in 1929, as many of the resort businesses throughout the region struggled to attract the same numbers of guests. It took decades for French Lick and the other surrounding communities to return to their former glory as prestigious vacation retreats. Over the course of the 20th century, the entire area continued to emerge as one of the most fantastic places to vacation in the whole United States. It was during this development that the town’s most famous resident was born—legendary basketball star Larry J. Bird. Bird spent his infancy in neighboring West Baden Springs but moved south to French Lick during his adolescence. He would later go on to have a historic career playing for the Boston Celtics, becoming the only person in the National Basketball Association (NBA) to win the following awards: Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, NBA Finals MVP, and All-Star MVP, as well as Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year. Larry Bird also won three NBA championships while playing for Boston, earning the coveted title in 1981, 1984, and 1986. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998, Bird today is regarded as one of the sport’s most prolific figures.

The very first iteration of the French Lick Springs Hotel that emerged in the 1840s was a wooden-framed structure built upon an L-shaped foundation. Dr. William Bowles—who originally acquired the building in 1845—greatly enlarged the hotel to feature three stories, a wrap-around veranda, and a brilliant multi-gabled roof. The whole structure displayed a fascinating blend of Gothic Revival-style architecture that went largely unchanged for the remainder of the century. William Bowles also owned several hundred acres surrounding the French Lick Springs Hotel, but he sold most of it to Dr. John A. Lane in 1852. Bowles and his general manager, Dr. Samuel Ryan, used the building to encourage visitation to the many mineral springs located on-site. Their success in advertising the medicinal qualities of the spring water enabled Bowles to renovate the structure in the first place. The hotel subsequently underwent additional renovations under different owners following Bowles’ death in 1873.

The original building burned down in 1897 when a fire spread throughout the grounds. While its owners at the time managed to reconstruct the destination, the French Lick Springs Hotel did not assume its current appearance until Thomas Taggart purchased it in 1901. Taggart and the group of investors he brought onto the project spent more than $200,000 completely renovating the location. Much of their initial work focused on the “main building,” which is often referred to as the “east wing.” Designed by architect William Homer Floyd, the main building displayed a beautiful blend of Late Victorian architecture that was later overlaid with Italian Renaissance-style design aesthetics. It stood six stories tall and featured some of the finest buff-colored brickwork in the region. A stunning white veranda stretched along the structure’s exterior, constructed with wood atop a solid limestone foundation. Guests could enter into the main building by means of a gorgeous two-story staircase, where upon entry they would encounter a magnificent interior lobby. The space was divided into two rooms connected by a wall with several open squared arches. Many pillars proliferated throughout the area, which formed a one-story colonnade that featured a white ceiling and gorgeous cross beams.

Taggart continued with the renovations well after he became the sole owner of the French Lick Springs Hotel, constructing the following four structures from 1905 to 1925: the annex, the west wing, the deluxe wing, and the north wing. These spaces contained the most cutting-edge shops and accommodations of their day. Taggart added several other luxurious facilities throughout the resort as well, including the Pluto Spring House, a kitchen complex, a power station, and a recreation center (formerly the bathhouse). The French Lick Springs Hotel also featured its own bottling plant, which Taggart used to mass produce his patented “Pluto Water.” He even added a marvelous interior pavilion into the west wing, which he dubbed the “Pluto Bar.” This outstanding venue displayed some of the most beautiful Italian Renaissance Revival-style architecture ever found inside an American building.

As the resort buildings underwent their dramatic renovation, so too did the gardens reside throughout the grounds. Taggart hired landscape architects to develop three gardens that could properly reflect the inherent beauty of the new French Lick Springs Hotel. As such, they created a Japanese garden, a Fresh Water Garden, and an Italian-style formal garden. The most enduring of these locations is the traditional Japanese garden. Traditional Japanese gardens are a small representation of a peaceful landscape, punctuated with a tranquil water feature. This eclectic element rendered the garden a perfect setting for an outdoor cocktail hour, reception or wedding. There is a new gardening experience at French Lick Resort that pays homage to Taggart’s legacy of horticulture known as The French Lick Academy. Guests who sign-up for the experience can tour the West Baden formal garden and greenhouse and have their questions answered by the resident gardening expert.

French Lick Springs Hotel subsequently experienced a series of renovations that constantly transformed the resort’s appearance over the next several decades. The most recent of these projects fortunately provided a breath of fresh air into the century-old structure. Bill and Gayle are now the stewards of this ongoing restoration work that first started all the way back in 1991. Among the greatest structural elements installed by the Cooks are the Baroque-style murals in the main building’s lobby. In keeping with the area's fame for producing mineral-laced “Pluto Water” 100 years ago, they depict the mythological story of Pluto's World. A single mural over the main lobby shows Orpheus and Eurydice—symbols of love—in a springtime setting. This is the story of Pluto’s world, as told through a breathtaking mural containing six separate panels. A group of artists from Conrad Schmitt Studios invested 1,500 hours in the planning and creation of these mural panels. In the process, Pluto’s world came to life.

Democratic Governors’ Convention (1931). The origins of the resort’s involvement with the Democratic Governors’ Convention can be traced back to the legendary Thomas Taggart. A former mayor of Indianapolis who briefly served as a U.S. Senator in 1916, Taggart had established himself as one of the nation’s leading Democrats during the early 20th century. His involvement with the party at the national level even earned him the appointment as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Democratic politicians frequently stopped by the French Lick Springs Hotel as such, holding various campaign rallies and fundraisers alongside Taggart. The resort soon became known throughout the country as the unofficial national headquarters for the Democratic Party. The French Lick Springs Hotel maintained its esteemed status among the country’s top Democrats, even after Taggart’s death in 1929. Perhaps the greatest testimony to this lasting prestige was when the French Lick Springs Hotel hosted the Democratic Governors’ Convention some two years later. Among the attendees was presidential hopeful Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was then the acting Governor of New York. Roosevelt managed to parlay the meeting into an opportunity to bolster support for his upcoming bid for the White House. The backing he received proved crucial, as it gave him the momentum necessary to win the eventual nomination at the Democratic National Convention in 1932.

John Barrymore, renowned actor known for his roles in Grand Hotel, Twentieth Century, and Midnight.

Lana Turner, celebrated actress known for her roles in The Postman Always Rings Twice, Peyton Place, and The Bad and the Beautiful.

Bing Crosby, world-famous singer and actor known for his roles in Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary’s.

Duke Ellington, legendary jazz musician whose orchestra famously played at the Cotton Club.

Louis Armstrong, renowned jazz musician regarded as one of the most influential figures in the genre.

Irving Berlin, celebrated composer who wrote such songs as “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better),” “White Christmas,” and “There’s No Business-Like Show Business.”

Bob Hope, famed comedian and patron of the United Service Organization (USO).

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, comedians best known for their comedy routine, “Who’s on First?”

Hoagy Carmichael, famous songwriter known for such pieces as “Georgia on My Mind,” and “Heart and Soul.”

Joe Louis, world boxing heavyweight champion considered to be among the greatest boxers of all time.

Howard Hughes, business magnate and pilot best known for creating the Hughes Aircraft Company in 1932.

Douglas MacArthur, American General remembered for his campaigns in the Philippines during World War II as well as the Korean Peninsula.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States (1933 – 1945)

Harry S, Truman, 33rd President of the United States (1945 – 1953)

Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States (1969 – 1974)

Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States (1981 – 1989)