Potton’s famous sulphur springs

While many of us are taken aback by what we refer to as ‘the rotten egg’ smell coming from water due to the high levels of sulphur, historically sulphur water was understood to have various health benefits. There was one area in the Eastern Townships in particular, known as Potton Springs, once a hamlet in the Township of Potton, that flourished as a result of the discovery of three sulphur springs in 1828.

While there is very little left to the Potton Springs site today to serve as reminder of this once booming village, once upon a time people came from far and wide to test its waters and to stay at the famous Potton Sulphur Springs Hotel.

The three sulphur springs were thought to have been discovered by 14-year-old Nathan Banfill when he was looking for a drink at the base of Pevee Mountain in 1828.

As people came to find out about the springs, they started making their way to what eventually became known as Potton Springs to take advantage of the sulphur water. The Mcmannis Hotel, located on Mountain Road, provided services to those who traveled to Potton Springs on horse and buggy.

It was believed that sulphur water possessed medicinal, healing, and therapeutic properties. It supposedly cured everything from liver ailments, stomach inflammation, rheumatism, and skin disorders.

In 1875, businessman N.H. Green decided to take advantage of the sulphur springs and constructed the Potton Sulphur Springs Hotel. With its famous sulphur waters and what was described as a spa resort, Potton Springs eventually became established as a popular tourist destination; especially with the construction of the railway linking Eastman to Potton Springs in 1877.

Potton Springs attracted people from all over Europe, the United States, Montreal, Western Canada, and the Eastern Townships who were hoping to have a once in a lifetime experience.

In 1912, the hotel was purchased by J.A. Wright and he spearheaded an expansion and updates for the hotel, including adding a generator to supply it with electricity.

According to a pamphlet for the Potton Sulphur Springs Hotel, it accommodated up to 75 people at a rate of $2.50 to $3 a day. It had large rooms, parlours, baths, and meals made from local produce. The hotel resort also had a post office on site, footpaths, tennis courts, croquet, fishing, a candy shop, and a CPR station located around 200 feet away. The employee’s rooms were located on the ground floor.

While there, guests drank and bathed in the sulphur water, which was described as pure, clean, and wholesome. Some say this marked the beginnings of modern spas in the Eastern Townships. The sulphur water was tapped from the springs of Pevee Mountain into a wooden tank that delivered the water to the hotel by gravity.

Many people also brought the water back home with them. In the brochure, a Dr. E.H. Henderson of Mansonville is quoted recommending the water to his patients for its various health benefits.

By the 1920s, the hotel started to decline and it was assumed that this was linked with the economic crisis of the Great Depression.

In 1930, Wright sold the Potton Sulphur Springs Hotel to F. Larin. Unfortunately, the hotel was destroyed in a fire, presumed to be arson, in 1934. According to Record archives, the fire spread rapidly, starting in Wright’s extension of the hotel, and it caused about $50,000 in damages.

After losing the hotel, there was very little left besides a few remnants of buildings and foundations, names of visitors carved into stones, and the steps leading down to the springs to serve as reminder of the fascinating things that happened in Potton Springs.

The site of the Potton Sulphur Springs Hotel was purchased by the Poorna-jnana Yoga Foundation in 1998 to develop a health and spiritual centre, with some of their services focusing on the use of the area’s sulphur water. It is private property, no longer accessible to the public as

With many having visited the sulphur springs, we were wondering if our readers have any exciting stories they would like to share about Potton Springs? If so, feel free to share with us at:

newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com.