Page 15 - Hancock County Tourism ~ 2021 History

Do you know about...
the St. Roch Mineral Spring
Crystal clear, natural spring water once flowed through a spring, or “belle fontaine,” at a
site near the Sherwood Heights condominiums on Second Street in Bay St. Louis. Early maps and photos indicate a belle fontaine near the bay. Prior to the arrival of the French in the late 1600s, an old Indian midden was located in this area. By the late 1800s, German immigrant Dr. L. H. von Gohren saw Bay St. Louis’ potential as
a health resort and seized on a prime business opportunity. He built a large estate near the spring and offered mineral, medicated, and electric baths. With several guest houses on the property, as well as courts for playing tennis and croquet, people with a variety of medical conditions came to
the “Villa Quisisana” for a wholly therapeutic experience.
According to old advertisements in the New Orleans Times Picayune, customers could also purchase water bottled “at the spring in Bay St. Louis” for eight cents a gallon.
Von Gohren’s estate was eventually demolished to clear the way for a new highway leading to the Bay St. Louis bridge.
Dr. Von Gohren’s residence
An outing at the St. Roch Mineral Spring
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