06/02/2026
In the absence of specific information about individual members of the enslaved community, we instead turn our attention to the bigger picture and apply the experiences of those enslaved in other similar situations to that of the enslaved community at Wynnewood. We talk about the slave trade, the enslaved's involvement in horse racing, and their day-to-day life.
One of the more under-researched areas of slavery is the role that enslaved workers had in the operations of mineral springs resorts like the Castalian Springs Inn. While we don’t necessarily have as much detail as we would like, we can learn from contextual documents and extrapolate about the experience of the enslaved community here.
Given that Wynnewood was both a family home and a resort, we can infer that in busier seasons, the work of the enslaved increased and perhaps changed. It meant more people to feed, more to clean, and more people to cater to. Additionally, since many of those visiting were seeking the health benefits of the sulfur water, they may have assisted people to the springs and in administering "the cure" in the form of baths.
