Although the 90-degree natural springs that flow at the foot of Georgia’s Pine Mountain had been used for centuries by the Creek Indians and other Native Americans, the area found international prominence in the early- to mid-1900s. By the time Franklin Delano Roosevelt discovered its healing properties in 1924, Warm Springs, both a resort and a town, had come to be.
Located 60 miles southwest of Atlanta, Roosevelt fell in love with Warm Springs and built was is believed to be the only home he ever owned there: the Little White House.
During his presidency, he spent much time there and tried to keep a low profile, insisting the town forgo the usual fanfare of a presidential visit. But from 1933 and 1945, the eyes of the nation often focused on Warm Springs. Whenever Roosevelt arrived or departed, large crowds of local citizens and tourists assembled to greet him, his train often met by thousands.
He died at Warm Springs on April 12, 1945. Since then the Little White House has served as a memorial for the 32nd president and Warm Springs has returned to its pre-Roosevelt status as a quiet Southern village.
