A long time ago, Vinings was known for its natural spring water. During the 1800’s, after the Civil War and Reconstruction, Vinings was home to from 3 to 5 natural mineral water springs, one near the corner of Mountain and Ranch Roads down from the Vinings Inn.
This setting attracted high society from Atlanta to hop on the W &A Railroad and come to Vinings to picnic and hold dances at the pavilion, and drink the spring water.
Thats gone, buried now beneath one of the developed lots in Carter’s Grove. According to Jody Smith, resident of Vinings for some 40 years now, “it was some of the best water you ever tasted…” In fact, in 1998 she even had a small container of frozen Vining’s spring water in her freezer, saved symbolic of her early battles with developer Turrentine to save the springs.
The spring(s) were offered to the community to purchase and preserve but funds were never raised to do so. Now the spring flow is diverted underground and lost. Maybe…
This information was gleaned from an article in the “Vinings Gazette” from August 1998, and therein, was a suggestion that the spring could actually be angle-piped or tapped out as a fountain location along Ranch Road.
If at all feasible, wouldn’t that be a great historic Christmas Present back to the community !
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