By Diane Glidewell
dglidewell@jackson-progress-argus.come

The dreary, bleak days may have outnumbered the sunny, bright ones in 2010 so far, but the staff at Indian Springs State Park knows it will not be long before greenery and warm sunshine begin to beckon natives and visitors to the amenities of Butts County’s historic park.

Park Superintendent Ken Lalumiere has added several new members to his staff and has personally conducted several effective renovations in Idlewilde, the former residence and boarding house built between 1907-1910 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in March 1999. The administrative offices of Indian Springs State Park have been in Idlewilde since March 1995.

Lalumiere is in the midst of giving Idlewilde its first interior coat of paint since 1995. The park staff renovated the bathroom on the first floor, and the building has some new lighting fixtures. The gift shop has been rearranged and new merchandise added.

Kim Cato, who has been the Indian Springs State Park secretary since September, has worked to make the gift shop more attractive and eagerly talks of plans to pressure wash the exterior and plant flowers as spring approaches. In other areas of the park, renovations include a new dump station and new mulch in the playgrounds.

The newest staff members at Indian Springs State Park are Assistant Manager Beth Kane, who came to Indian Springs from Red Top Mountain State Park in December and Enforcement Ranger Judd Sears who just reported for duty February 16th. Sears will be responsible for law enforcement, safety inspections, and gates at the Park as well as helping with interpretation of the site. Utility worker Doc Lewis came on board in September.

Other members of the park staff are Senior Ranger Eddie Dumas; Housekeepers Kathy Edwards, Carol Saunders, and Jennifer Aldridge; Office Clerk Quint Sims; Campground Hosts Dick Hudler and Bill and Joy Gallagher, and Park Pass Attendant Sandra Cox. They all work together to welcome visitors to Indian Springs State Park and to keep the park an inviting and safe destination.

They are also assisted by the newly organized Friends of the Park chapter at Indian Springs. The Friends meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at the Group Shelter. They welcome anyone who is interested in making Indian Springs State Park a better place. Volunteers man the Park’s Museum and donate skills and time wherever needed as well as raising funds for Park improvements. The next meeting is Tuesday, March 9. Beverly Aldridge is president.

A Post Office flagpole donated by Sandra Cox has recently been erected in front of the Indian Springs Stone Pavilion. Events at the Park are being coordinated with other nearby events, such as the Dauset Trails Blue Bird Blue Grass Festival and the Grand Opening for The Village at Indian Springs, both on April 3 and the Writers Conference at Generations Gallery on April 23-24. Plans are still in the works for a 3.75 mile bike trail connecting the Park to Dauset Trails.

While new amenities are added, those who love Indian Springs recognize the enduring charms which draw guests to Georgia’s oldest state park: the beautiful natural setting and recreational facilities and the wealth of history, including the Native Americans and the medicinal waters from which the Park derives its name, the striking stone buildings and walls built by President Roosevelt’s CCC work crews during the Great Depression, and the stories of the elaborate resort hotels which surrounded the area in the early 20th Century.

The Park offices are unique in their enticing location in a well preserved 20th Century residence, and Superintendent Lalumiere and his staff are enthusiastic about sprucing up their home base. Idlewilde is an impressive building with its beautiful heart of pine floors, original beveled glass windows, door handles, and stunning staircase. Two granddaughters of Robert Grier, the famous 19th century astronomer and author of the Grier Almanac, built Idlewilde and extensive gardens around it and operated it as a boarding house until 1925. Mr. and Mrs. Willis B. Powell, also avid gardeners, owned the house until 1943, and their friend Franklin Delano Roosevelt sometimes stayed with them there.

Mrs. Linda T. Rastello owned Idlewilde until 1979 when she sold it to the State of Georgia. There are now many items on display from the earliest owners of the house, including a wedding gown worn in 1912. Checking in, picking up information, and meeting some of the friendly employees of the Park are just the beginning of why visitors want to stop by the offices of Indian Springs State Park.