Berkeley Springs, West Virginia

Berkeley Springs, West Virginia
Town
Town of Bath
Town square in Berkeley Springs
Seal
Motto:  "America's First Spa"
Location of Bath (Berkeley Springs) in Morgan County, West Virginia.
Coordinates: 39°37′32″N 78°13′37″W / 39.62556°N 78.22694°W / 39.62556; -78.22694
Country	United States
State	West Virginia
County	Morgan
Incorporation	December 1776
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
Area [1]
• Total	0.34 sq mi (0.87 km2)
• Land	0.34 sq mi (0.87 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [2]	656 ft (200 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• Total	758
• Estimate  (2021)[3]	755
• Density	1,773.81/sq mi (685.65/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code	25411
Area code	304
FIPS code	54-04876
GNIS feature ID	1877535[2]
Website	townofbath.org/government

Berkeley Springs is the name of the postal area/U.S. Post Office that serves a large portion of Morgan County to include the municipality of the Town of Bath. The town is the county seat of, Morgan County, West Virginia, United States, in the state's eastern panhandle.^[4] Berkeley Springs is commonly used to refer to the area in and around the Town of Bath. In 1776 more than 200 people residing at the Warm Springs in Berkeley County, Virginia petitioned the Virginia Legislature to establish a town around the springs; however, it was not until after the WV state constitution was drawn up in 1872 that on February 28, the WV legislature amended the original town charter for Bath and established a true town government elected by the residents. Prior to that date the town was managed by a group of appointed Trustees.^[5] Since 1802, it has been referred to by the name of its original post office, Berkeley Springs. The population was 758 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Hagerstown–Martinsburg metropolitan area.

The area contains mineral water springs frequented by Native Americans indigenous to the area, possibly for thousands of years. After settlement by Europeans, the mineral springs drew many visitors from urban areas. Notable colonial visitors to the area included George Washington and James Rumsey. Berkeley Springs remained a popular resort area during the United States' early years. It is the home of the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting,^[6] the longest-running and largest such event in the world. Another local tradition is the famed Apple Butter Festival, started by a group of local business owners in 1974, with overwhelming support from then-Mayor Frank Heiner.^{[citation needed]} The area continues to be a popular resort area, with tourism the primary industry in the county and there being six full-service spas using mineral water.