Healing Springs, Blackville, SC 29817  5/5 (3)

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Every road trip needs a rest stop for refreshment — and you probably won’t find a better one than God’s Acre Healing Springs, where the beverage is not only tasty, but free. And healing.

The Healing Springs earned their reputation during the Revolutionary War. Four mortally wounded British soldiers were reportedly restored to fighting health merely by drinking and bathing in the Springs (The Brits were probably fighting forces loyal to the Swamp Fox, but the whole story is a little vague). The Edisto Indians eventually sold the land for some corn, and the Healing Springs Baptist Church was built next door.

God's Acre Healing Springs.

In a foresighted act of environmental stewardship, the church refused to dig a graveyard on the property so that the Springs would remain pure.

The “God’s Acre” designation came much later. A small, tombstone-like monument at the Springs notes that the acre of land surrounding them was “Deeded to Almighty God” in 1944 by property owner L.P. “Lute” Boylston. This had the twin advantages of freeing the property forever from taxes (good luck collecting from God) while forcing the government to assume the cost and responsibility for its upkeep. While we visited, two employees from the regional soil conservation district showed up to perform routine tests for radiological contamination.

The Healing Springs today are popular and user-friendly. Water pours continually — gallons every minute — from multi-spigot pipes sunk into the ground. A big sign announces that “this historical property has been deeded to God for public use, please revere God by keeping it clean.”

God's Acre Healing Springs.

Behind the Springs, on the wooded side of Windy Hill Creek, a Christian cross stands with little pebble offerings arrayed atop its crossbar. Visitors park, unload carloads of empty water cooler bottles and Costco-size juice jugs, and fill up with God’s free bounty.

A historical marker out by the highway informs that the Springs “by analysis are exceptionally pure and contain healthful minerals.” It’s the prospect of a water cure — the healing part of the Springs — that draws some people, like the afflicted out west who play Chinese checkers in the Radon Health Mines.

– See more at: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12456#sthash.87O0J0k5.dpuf

 

Responses

  1. We have used this Artesian Spring for over 15 years. It has many piped fonts to collect water in jugs and 5 gallon bottles.

    It’s an incredible gift and we have been grateful to use it.

    It’s a good way out in the country.
    There’s an Amish Store on the corner that sells sandwiches and drinks and has a restroom by the way.

  2. We love this water so much! We have been getting all of our drinking water from here for about 2 years now. My husband drives about 2 1/2 hours to fill up every month. We have lots of 5 gallon jugs. It does feel that this place is God’s place. We are so blessed for this gift from God.

  3. Yes, I made it! Water tastes amazing💕 I need to buy the 5gallon jugs to fill up. There were many people there with bags of gallon bottles to fill. I will be back to fillup soon.

How to Collect Spring Water

Drinking pure spring water is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Our bodies are over 99% water at the molecular level, so water affects every aspect of our biology. Yet, not all water is created equal. Almost all the bottled spring water available is pasteurized for shelf stability, which neutralizes many of the powerful health benefits such as increased hydrogen, healthy probiotics, and crystalline structure. For more about why unprocessed spring water is the best water to drink, read this.

The best way to guarantee you are getting real unprocessed spring water is to collect it yourself. This is a short and simple guide filled with information about how to gather spring water. We will cover how to find a spring, how to collect the water, how to honor the spring, how to store the water properly and other tips.

FindASpring.org is the best resource for locating a spring near you. However, not all springs are on the map. First, check the map to see if there is a spring in your local area. If there is, look at the reviews and comments. Has anyone shared helpful information about flow rate or posted a water test result? Is the spring in a pristine area? Do a bit of research and make sure the spring is safe to drink from. If you have any doubt about the purity, don’t risk it and get a water test, HERE. If you don’t see a spring on the map in your area, there still might be some that aren’t listed yet. First, ask the older generation who have lived in your area a long time if they know. You can also ask people in your community who might already get spring water such as people at a health food store or at a farmers market. Another great option is to view A US forest service map, where many springs have been marked. You can view these maps through the Gaia GPS or All Trails hiking apps on your phone. The map overlay you want is USGS Topo. Not all are easily accessible or ideal for drinking, but some are and it can be a fun adventure to find them. We have found over half a dozen great springs this way.

Once you’ve found your spring, figure out how you are going to gather the water. Is it right on the side of the road and easy to access or do you have to hike to it? We recommend storing spring water in glass instead of plastic to preserve the purity of the water. It is better for the environment, your body, and the water. Even BPA free plastic has toxic chemicals that can leach into water and cause health issues. If you do want to use plastic for safety reasons when filling at the spring, we recommend transferring the water to glass as soon as possible. FindASpring is sponsored by Alive Waters, which offers beautiful reusable glass. They have a 2.5 gallon option, which is a convenient size for carrying that isn’t too heavy. They also sell handles that you can use to transport the jugs even more easily. If you have to hike to access the spring, we recommend putting the water jugs into an extra large backpack to hike the water out with ease. We use Osprey packs that hold 2 jugs each. You can also use a wheelbarrow or even a stroller depending on how easy a walk it is.

Filling 2.5 Gallon Alive Waters Jug

When you get to the spring, remember to first give back before you take. Springs are considered sacred in indigenous cultures around the world for their life giving water and also as a connection to the inner earth. A powerful and simple way to give back is to clean up. Is there any trash that needs to be collected? Could you move any dead leaves or sticks to improve the flow rate? Show up in service. Some other wonderful ways to give is with a moment of expressing verbal gratitude, singing songs to the water, offering the water an ethically sourced crystal, a feather, or some other physical gift. Flowers are a popular and beautiful thing to offer, but please be careful to source organic ones as most flowers from the store are sprayed with pesticides and can be toxic to put near a spring. Also, flowers can attract bugs as they decay, so it can be best to offer them to the flowing water directly or a little downstream from the spring head.

When gathering the water, fill the jug as close to the spring head as possible, never gather downstream. Be very careful as wet glass is extremely slippery. Make sure the lid is securely fastened. When transporting the spring water home, the jugs can sometimes slide around the car. Secure them in place or wrap them with towels or something so they don’t crash into each other.

How you store your spring water is essential. It is not pasteurized like spring water from the store, so it will start growing algae if left in direct sunlight. This is good because it means it’s alive! If the water you drink can’t even support the most basic life forms, how do you think it will support your body? Store your water in a cool, dark place such as a dark corner, pantry or closet. The fridge is ideal if you have room. Some people prefer to filter their water through a Berkey filter before drinking, but if the spring is pure, it’s not necessary. We drink our spring water completely unfiltered.

How long the water stays good for depends on how cold a temperature it’s stored at. Spring water is best fresh. We personally do not prefer to drink spring water past 2 weeks old. However, we know other people that will drink it at a month old. It’s great to get in a rhythm where you know how long the water lasts you and put your collection day on the calendar in advance.

I believe that water is calling us to reconnect with her in the deepest way, to gather our own water. Just like our ancestors did. Our ancestors didn’t have fancy water machines. They also didn’t create villages or settle where there was no water. Water was revered as the center of the community and the nodal point around which life could spiral out and take root.

Here’s to restoring the sacred connection with the waters of life.

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