Eighth in a Series: The History of Springhaven Inn: 1978 – Alex Hallmark Rents Springhaven to Ben and Diane Long

Written by Dr. Dan Morrill and Catherine Perry

This is the eighth article in a series covering the long, rich history of the Springhaven Inn, built in 1888 in Blowing Rock, NC. 

[Springhaven Inn is for sale. A group of town residents, with the Blowing Rock Historical Society, BRAHM, and Preserve Mecklenburg, Inc. (PMI), is working to save the structure. We are actively looking for a buyer or buyers for the property willing to keep the outside structure of the historic inn. If the property is demolished, this physical evidence of the history at the very core of Blowing Rock will be gone forever. We think it is worthy of being saved. If you would like to learn more about how you can be involved in the effort to save this property, contact Tommy Lee at either 704-737-5609 or tommy@appiantextiles.com.]

Alex Hallmark Rents Springhaven Inn to Ben and Diane Long

In 1977, Ben Long and his wife Diane wanted to bring Italian Renaissance culture to the high country of North Carolina, so they made plans to operate their own art shop and gallery in Blowing Rock. As the Longs had become friends with Alexander Hallmark the summer before, Alex took Diane to show her the Springhaven Inn, which was available for renting. She “just loved it.” They set up an art gallery/shop with framing in the back and entertained visitors who came to see the art and shop.

Diane, in a recent interview, spoke more fully about her memories of Springhaven Inn.

“It was a very special house. I loved being in that house. The layout of the house, the yard, the way it was away from the road. So, here you were downtown and yet you had the feeling of being away from downtown. When I saw it posted recently on Facebook, it brought back such fond memories. I hope you do save it. It is a very special house.”

Tony Griffin—The Painter

Diane’s brother, Tony Griffin, who lived with his sister and Ben in Blowing Rock as a teenager and went with them to Italy each year, has many memories of his days at the Springhaven Inn. “People were coming and going all the time,” he recalls. “It was a very active place.” Most folks came to peruse the paintings displayed for sale in the art gallery, the great majority of which were landscapes and nudes painted by Ben.

As an adult, Tony became an artist. Most of his paintings are landscapes in oil and canvas. He continues to produce art and routinely has shows in Banner Elk, North Carolina.

Alex Hallmark—The Sculptor

The final artist who was important in the history of the Springhaven Inn was Alex Hallmark–the realtor who purchased the Inn in 1977 and rented it to Ben and Diane Long. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Alexander Hallmark moved to Blowing Rock in the early 1970s and joined a real estate firm owned by his father. 

While spending time as a child in Europe, Alex had developed a great love for the arts. He became a frequent visitor when Diane and Ben Long operated the gallery and framing shop at the Springhaven Inn in 1977 and 1978, and a regular attendee at the parties Diane and Ben hosted there.

Eventually, gradually, Alex became an accomplished sculptor. One day, his wife Jo Ann left a bag of clay on the kitchen counter from her pottery class and went out to run an errand. When Jo Ann returned home, Alex had created the form of a human face from the clay and set it on the counter. That was the beginning of a profound change in Alex’s life. A spark had been ignited.

Alex sold the real estate business in 1999 and became a full-time sculptor. During his 20-year career, he created several memorable pieces, including the statues of legendary country singer Doc Watson located in Boone NC, Sam Ervin Jr. of Watergate fame in Morganton NC, and “The Stations of the Cross” at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock. 

Alexander Hallmark was 50 years old when he began his career as a professional sculptor. Of his age, he later expressed that his full and varied life prior to becoming a sculptor helped him to “produce something meaningful.” He had an introspective quality to his persona and acknowledged the unavoidable presence of suffering in human life. You can see this attribute in the faces of the sculptures Alex created for “The Stations of the Cross” display at St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church in Blowing Rock.

In next week’s article, we will learn about the person who has owned Springhaven Inn the longest of all—the current owner, Linda High.