Webster Springs Native Begins with a Dream and Ends with a Boardwalk

 BY: EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

In Webster Springs, the residents are familiar with an iconic boardwalk known as Lovers Lane.

The original boardwalk was built after the Civil War — from the town to the B.C. Conrad Hotel and grist mill, a distance of about ¾ of a mile, along the mountainside, and the Back Fork of Elk River. The boardwalk provided a dry place to walk, considering the roadway was muddy year round.

In the 1890’s, the town rebuilt the walk. That is when it became known as Lovers Lane. This five – six foot wide, no handrails boardwalk lasted until 1940.

From 2013-17, David M. Gillespie, PhD, a retired University Librarian and a native of Webster Springs, acquired all of the land where the original boardwalk was built, except for about 300 feet. He has now leased the final piece of the needed property for ten years.

He started the rebuilding of Lovers Lane.

Six hundred feet of the all-treated lumber boardwalk, 4 feet wide with handrails, has been completed along with one of three rain shelters on the trail. The final project will be about 2 miles long, using a combination of a walking trail and the boardwalk.

Dr. Gillespie is accepting donations to pay for materials and labor. Construction on the last 600-700 feet starts in April of this year, with an expected completion date in mid-summer. The total length of the trail, including the boardwalk, will be almost two miles long.

For additional information, contact Dr. David M. Gillespie, at 681-213-1205.