Murrieta Hot Springs, California
Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Murrieta Hot Springs is a neighborhood in the eastern region of Murrieta, California, which was annexed on July 1, 2002.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prior to annexation, Murrieta Hot Springs was a Census-designated place of Riverside County, California.<ref name="GR1">Template:Cite web</ref> The population was 2,948 at the 2000 census. The ZIP Code 92362 was originally used, until 92563 was introduced in the early 1990s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The neighborhood grew up around a hot springs spa that was developed as a resort starting in the 1880s and became a college campus and conference center in the 1990s.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.3 km2), of which 1.3 square miles (3.3 km2) is land and 0.78% is water.
French Valley Airport (FAA designator: F70), with a Template:Convert runway, is near Murrieta Hot Springs.
History
The Luiseño called the thermal springs Cherukanukna Hakiwuna.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> They bathed in the warm water and took mud baths;<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=LAT/> Spanish settlers later also made use of the water for healing.<ref name=SFGate>Template:Cite news</ref> Like the city, the springs acquired their name from Don Juan Murrieta, on whose land grant they were located.<ref name=LAT/>
The springs had been used for a Chinese laundry<ref name=LAT/> before the Temecula Land & Water Company developed the site in 1884 with a hotel and a bathhouse. Testimonials were published concerning the healing properties of the water. Fritz Guenther, a German who had settled in Los Angeles, bought the tract in 1902, built two new hotels and a new bathhouse, and later added cottages. The resort became popular, particularly with Jewish visitors, who were excluded from some other resorts. Guenther also happened to have used six-pointed stars in the decor.<ref name=SFGate/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Guenther family operated the spa until the late 1960s; in addition to the 48-room California Hotel, it included an assembly hall, the 63-room Stone Lodge and mosaic-tiled mudbath building, both built in 1926, a 1928 swimming pool, and a nature-care spa with private baths dating to 1936.<ref name=LAT/>
In January 1970, Murrieta Hot Springs and the surrounding area, some 500 acres, was sold to Irvin Kahn, a San Diego attorney and real estate developer who had visited the spa as a child. Kahn purchased additional land and with Teamsters Union lawyer Morris Shenker as co-owner, constructed a mobile home park above the spa and held golf and tennis tournaments. The resort continued to be popular with Jews; in 1973 a synagogue was built next door. After Kahn died unexpectedly in 1973, the resort property changed hands several times.<ref>Farnbach et al (2008) 8, 105–06.</ref> By then it had two additional pools, a sauna, and tennis courts, and abutted Rancho California Golf Course.<ref name=LAT/> In 1975 R. J. Rudd leased it for a clinic where he claimed he could cure cancer using a lemon juice diet; the clinic was closed after Rudd was indicted in 1977 for medical and financial fraud and was featured on 60 Minutes in January 1978.<ref>Farnbach et al (2008) 114.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The resort closed in 1977.<ref name=LAT/>
In 1982, the resort was purchased by Alive Polarity, a group who operated a non-smoking teetotal vegetarian commune there.<ref name=LAT>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=SFGate/> In 1987, Gary Naiman of San Diego bought it and renovated the guest accommodations.<ref name=LAT/>
The resort then became neglected. In 1995, Calvary Chapel Of Santa Ana bought it and used it as the campus of Calvary Chapel Bible College, with dormitories, libraries, and a conference center.<ref name=SFGate/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Following closure of the campus and conference center because of the COVID-19 pandemic, in August 2022 Calvary Chapel sold the Murrieta Hot Springs property to Olympus Real Estate Group, who own properties including the Springs Resort in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.<ref name=SFGate/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It reopened as a spa resort in February 2024, with renovations continuing.<ref name=SFGate/>
Government
In the California State Legislature, Murrieta Hot Springs is in Template:Representative, and in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the United States House of Representatives, Murrieta Hot Springs is in Template:Representative.<ref>Template:Cite GovTrack</ref>