HIGHLIGHTS

• 10.23 +/- acres by survey
• Two very nice Amish made buildings – great for camping, hunting, weekend getaways. Can be upgraded to living year-round
• Electricity on property
• Two small solar panels
• Convenient access to the town of Lewisburg and the amenities of the Greenbrier Resort
• The property’s privacy and rural character make it an accessible retreat with broad appeal
• Greenbrier County is the state’s 2^nd largest county and one of the least populated
• 90 minutes to the Snowshoe Resort, WV largest ski resort and events destination
• All mineral rights in title will convey
• Suitable for Off – Grid and a rewarding permaculture lifestyle
• Superior access by state maintained paved roads – FedEx, UPS and USPS delivery
• Timber species include white pine, oaks, poplar, maple and hickories
• Fur bearing wildlife – deer, bear, squirrel, rabbit, bobcat, raccoon, fox, opossum
• Winged wildlife – eagles, hawks, owls, ravens, turkeys and Neotropical songbirds
• Spectacular long-range views
• Ideal for recreational activities: shooting sports, ATV, horseback riding, hiking, camping, and nature viewing
• Low taxes, low population density
• The property provides quality of life values

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 38.034283°(N), -80.265529°(W)
Address: 3421 Julia Road, Renick, WV 24966
Elevation Range: 2446 ft. to 2626 ft. +/-

Drive Times (approximate)

Highway and Local Towns
I-64 Lewisburg Ronceverte Exit 169: 35 minutes
Lewisburg: 35 minutes
White Sulphur Springs: 50 minutes
Beckley: 1 hour 15 minutes
Charleston: 2 hour 25 minutes
Marlinton: 40 minutes
Union: 1 hour 10 minutes
Roanoke, VA: 2 hours 15 minutes

Airports

Lewisburg – Greenbrier Valley Airport: 35 minutes
Beckley – Raleigh County Memorial Airport: 1 hour 25 minutes
Charleston – West Virginia International Yeager Airport: 2 hours 25 minutes
Roanoke – Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport: 2 hours 15 minutes

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

The forest’s predominately well-drained upland terrain has led to a resource dominated by hardwood species and white pine. Overall, the species composition is highly desirable and favors hardwood types, consisting primarily of, Sugar Maple, Poplar, Red Oak/Scarlet Oak, White Oak/Chestnut Oak, Soft Maple, Hickory, and a host of associated species (birch, sourwood, black gum, beech).

The forest is healthy and there are no signs of pest infestations of Gypsy Moth. The Emerald Ash Borer, which has inundated the entire Northeast US, is present and the Ash component will significantly decline over the next decade. The Eastern Hemlock species is under siege by the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and the hemlock will significantly decline over the coming decade. There have been no forest fires in recent memory.

The forest floor is home to several types of mushrooms, medicinal plants, wild ginseng, ferns and cool green mosses.

Crops of acorns and hickory nuts are produced each year from the oak and hickory trees scattered about.

Raising honeybees would do well here.

MINERAL RESOURCES

All rights the owner has in title will be conveyed with the property.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

CLICK TO ENLARGE

The property was surveyed in October 2013 and is shown on a survey plat recorded in Deed Book 560 at Page 710. The metes and bounds description prepared from that survey is shown in the owner’s deed. The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

UTILITIES

Water: A well could be drilled. A 1,000 gallon potable water storage tank is on site but has not been installed.
Sewer:  A private septic system could be installed
Electricity:  Available on property. Two small solar panels in place.
Telephone:  Available at roadside
Internet:  Available via Frontier, Starlink, HughesNet
Cellphone Coverage:  Good

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property has almost 700 feet of frontage on Julia Road Rt. 7/1. The property road connects directly to Julia Road.

ZONING

Greenbrier County is subject to some zoning and subdivision regulations. All prospective buyers should consult the County Commission and the Health Department for details regarding zoning, building codes and installation of septic systems.

Information can be found at the county website: http://greenbriercounty.net/ordinances.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The property has been used as open area and forestland.

(This summary is an estimation of current property use as determined from aerial photography.  It is made subject to the estimation of property boundaries and any errors in the interpretation of land use type from the aerial photography utilized.)

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: DB 662 Pg. 454
Greenbrier County, West Virginia
Acreage: 10.23 acres +/-

Real Estate Tax Info: 
Greenbrier County (13), West Virginia
Falling Spring District (4)
Tax Map 48 Parcel 34.3; Class 2

2025 Real Estate Taxes: $109.02

SCHOOLS

Greenbrier County School District

Public Elementary School:
Frankford Elementary School

Public Middle School:
Eastern Greenbrier Middle School

Public High School:
Greenbrier East High School

Colleges:
New River Community and Technical College (Lewisburg campus)
West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

Private Schools:
Greenbrier Community School (PK-8)
Greenbrier Valley Academy (2-8)
Lewisburg Baptist Academy (PK-12)
Renick Christian School (2-7)
Seneca Trail Christian Academy (PK-12)

A MOST PLEASANT CLIMATE

The property experiences an enjoyable four-season climate for growing berries that is favorably influenced by its elevation and the surrounding mountains. The production of blueberries and blackberries do exceptionally well in this climate, as does livestock. Summers are noticeably cooler than areas to the east, with average high temperatures in the 70’s and 80’s. During the winter, high temperatures reach the 50’s and 60’s, with lows in the teens. Spring and fall generally feature spectacular weather that highlights the brilliant colors of the changing seasons, and temperatures average in the 60’s. Annua

Annual rainfall is approximately 44 inches, while annual snowfall is approximately 39 inches.

ON-SITE RECREATION

The property offers many soft recreational opportunities.

Nature viewing is first in line of recreational activities. Numbers and diversity of species include neo-tropical songbirds, butterflies, turtles, frogs, rabbits, chipmunks, dragonflies, owls and hawks.

Stargazing-Planet ObservationComplete or near darkness, can still be found on areas of the property, thereby affording the opportunity to view the night sky in all its brilliant wonder.

Water-sports enthusiasts will find the nearby Greenbrier River ideal for swimming, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, tubing, snorkeling, paddle boarding and windsurfing.

Mountain Biking and Hiking

The gently laying land may be used for conventional and mountain biking and hiking.

Shooting-sports devotees find all the land and privacy needed to enjoy:

Paintball-Airsoft-Laser Tag-Archery tag

• Shotgun sport shooting including Skeet, Trap, Double Trap and Sporting Clays
• Rifle & Handgun shooting: bullseye, silhouette, western, bench rest, long-range, fast draw
• Archery and Crossbow competition shooting
• Plain ole’ plinking: Grandpa’s old 22 single shot rifle and a few tin cans make a fun day

WILDLIFE

The nearby Greenbrier River is a major contributor to the local ecosystem’s richness and diversity for both plants and animals. The areas creeks, rivers, ponds, and springs support the surrounding aquatic plant life and create a water sustained community with a wide variety of wildlife. The edges of the area’s small wetlands support the aquatic food web and provide shelter for wildlife. The plant life associated with the wetland includes rushes, sedges, cattails, duckweed and algae.

There are many animals that live year-round and at other times in the water and around the edges of the of the area’s creeks and rivers including raccoons, opossums, blue herons, Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, minnows, native fish, turtles, salamanders, newts, crayfish, muskrats, bull frogs, eagles, hawks and redwing blackbirds.

There is the insect and microscopic world including butterflies, dragonflies, water beetles, damselflies, tadpoles and various insect larvae.

The area’s diverse tree species, coupled with the abundant water supply from the nearby river and streams, create the area’s perfect wildlife habitat. The miles of “edge effect” crafted between farm fields, creeks, hollows, ridges, and rock outcrops benefit all the resident wildlife. Bald eagles, white tail deer, black bear, wild turkey, squirrel, rabbit, bobcat, raccoon, fox and many species of songbirds, owls and raptors make up the resident wildlife population.

The area’s hardwood forest provides an essential nutrient source and produces tons of hard mast including acorns, hickory nuts and beech nuts. Soft mast includes stag horn sumac, black cherry, tulip poplar seeds, maple seeds, multiple rose berries and blackberries.

BUTTERFLIES

The property is an excellent habitat for butterflies, especially monarchs. The monarch highly depends on the milkweed plant and returns to areas rich in milkweed to lay their eggs. The milkweed they consume as caterpillars contain toxins stored in their bodies, making the butterfly taste terrible to predators. Their bright orange wings serve as a warning signal.

Each fall, in one of the world’s astounding natural animal events, tens of millions of monarch butterflies migrate as much as 3,000 miles from the northeast U.S. and Canada to their wintering grounds in central Mexico. They use air currents and thermals to travel such incredible distances.

Other butterflies that visit the property include eastern tiger and spicebush swallowtails, silver-spotted skippers, and a variety of sulphurs and whites. Another interesting insect to visit the property is the Black Saddlebag Dragonfly, a regular guest of the lake and wetlands, with all the frogs, fish, and turtles.

PERMACULTURE FARMING

The three core tenets of permaculture are:

• Care for the earth: Provision for all life systems to continue and multiply. This is the first principle because, without a healthy earth, humans cannot flourish.
• Care for the people: Provision of access to resources necessary for human existence
• Setting limits to population and consumption: By governing our own needs, we can set resources aside to further the above principles. This includes returning waste back into the system to recycle and turn it into usefulness. The third ethic is sometimes called ‘Fair Share,’ which reflects that we should take no more than what we need before we reinvest the surplus.

Permaculture design emphasizes patterns of landscape, function, and species assemblies. It determines where these elements should be placed so they can provide maximum benefit to the local environment. Permaculture maximizes useful connections between components and synergy of the final design. The focus of permaculture, therefore, is not on each separate element but rather on the relationships created among elements by the way they are placed together; the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts.

Permaculture design, therefore, aims to minimize waste, human labor, and energy input by building systems and maximizing benefits between design elements to achieve a high level of synergy. Permaculture designs evolve by considering these relationships and elements and evolving into extremely complex systems that produce a high density of food and materials with minimal input.

The design principles, which are the conceptual foundation of permaculture, were derived from the science of systems ecology and the study of pre-industrial sustainable land use. Permaculture draws from several disciplines, including organic farming, agroforestry, integrated farming, sustainable development, and applied ecology. Permaculture has been applied mostly to housing and landscaping design, incorporating techniques like agroforestry, natural building, and rainwater harvesting within its design principles and theory.

FOREST FARMING

The most common crops are medicinal herbs and mushrooms. Other crops that can be produced include shade-loving native ornamentals, moss, fruit, nuts, other food crops, and decorative materials for crafts. These crops are often referred to as special forest products.

Some examples of special forest product crops for each category:

• Medicinal herbs: Ginseng, goldenseal, black cohosh, bloodroot, passionflower, and mayapple
• Mushrooms: Shiitake and oyster mushrooms
• Native ornamentals: Rhododendrons and dogwood
• Moss: Log or sheet moss
• Fruit: Pawpaws, currants, elderberries, and lowbush blueberries
• Nuts: Acorns, hickory nuts, and beechnuts
• Other food crops: Ramps (wild leeks), maple syrup, and honey
• Plants used for decorative purposes, dyes, and crafts: Galax, princess pine, white oak, pussy willow branches in the spring, holly, bittersweet, bloodroot and ground pine (Lycopodium)

SELF-SUSTAINING LIFE OFF THE GRID

Just like 250 years ago, when the first pioneers settled the area, the property would be self-sustaining in times of necessity – even without electricity.

• The agricultural land’s flat to rolling topography would be used to raise livestock of all kinds (chickens, pigs, cows, sheep, goats, rabbits etc.) and could be farmed with horse drawn equipment. The land would support vegetable gardens, berry patches, fruit orchards, and row crops of corn, oats and barley.
• Fresh water for drinking and cooking would possibly come from springs and drilled water wells (hand drawing water from the wells using a cylinder well bucket).
• The nearby Greenbrier River, creeks and forest would provide fresh food (native fish, crayfish, deer, bear, and turkey).
• Beehives would provide honey and beeswax for candles.
• The forest would provide firewood for heating and cooking, lumber for building, basket splints, maple syrup and pounds of nuts (acorns, beechnuts and hickory nuts).

SURROUNDING AREA

Lewisburg, which is the Greenbrier County seat, was voted the Coolest Small Town in America, combining the warmth of a close community with the sophistication of more urban locations. The thriving downtown historic district offers year-round live productions presented at the State Professional Theatre of WV, Carnegie Hall, distinctive dining venues, antique shops, award-winning galleries/boutiques, a year-round farmer’s markets.

Greenbrier Valley Medical Center is a modern hospital with all attendant medical facilities, along with the many big box stores.

The county and city host several fairs & festivals throughout the year including The WV State Fair, a professional 4-weekend Renaissance Festival, Chocolate Festival, Taste of our Town Festival (TOOT), antique car shows, Jeep Rally, Airstream Rally, WV Barn Hunt Competition, PGA Tour @ The Greenbrier Resort, and numerous fun parades.

Lewisburg is the home to the Greenbrier Country Public Library, a fantastic, ultra-modern public library that is open 7 days a week. The library’s services include Reading Areas, References, Notary Public, Local History Room, Tax Forms, Fax Service, Photocopies, Digital Printing, Inter Library Loans, Internet/Computer Access, Audio Books, eBooks, Story Hour, Video & DVD’s, Paperback Book Exchange, Literacy Tutoring, Databases, Computer Classes, Book Discussions, Children’s Programming and an Online Catalogue.

Lewisburg is also home to modern Robert. C Byrd Medical Clinic (300 employees), the WV Osteopathic Medical School (600 students) and the New River Community and Technical College. The area is a strong economic generator with a solid workforce employed in county/state government, tourism, hospitality, medical, education, retail, construction, wood products, mining and agriculture.

The world-renowned Greenbrier Resort, with 800 rooms and 1600 employees, is located in the sleepy little town of White Sulphur Springs. The 4-Star resort has a subterranean casino and is at times the home to the NFL Summer Practice Event, Tennis Exhibitions (Venus Williams, John McEnroe etc.). Several other area golf courses are available in the area – including Oakhurst Links, America’s first golf course, where guests play using old style hickory-handled clubs and ground-burrowing golf balls.

A picturesque train ride from White Sulphur Springs connects the area to DC, Philadelphia, Chicago, and many other locations. By car, DC is 4 hours away and Charlotte is only 4.

Within a two-hour drive are located some of the finest recreational facilities in West Virginia. Winterplace Ski Resort, whitewater rafting / fishing on the New River and Gauley River, 2000-acre Bluestone Lake, Pipestem State Park and Resort and the 80,000-acre New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Five other area state parks and state forests offer unlimited hiking, horseback riding, ATV riding and rock climbing opportunities. Snowshoe Ski Resort is 90-minute drive through some of the most scenic country on the East Coast. The new 12,000-acre Boy Scout High Adventure Camp and home to the US and World Jamboree is an hour’s drive.

GREENBRIER RIVER

Within a couple minutes’ drive or bike ride is the Greenbrier River.  162 miles long, the Greenbrier is the longest untamed (unblocked) river left in the Eastern United States. It is primarily used for recreational pursuits and well known for its fishing, canoeing, kayaking and floating opportunities. Its upper reaches flow through the Monongahela National Forest, and it is parallel for 77 miles by the Greenbrier River Trail, a rail trail which runs between the communities of Cass and North Caldwell.

It has always been a valuable water route, with most of the important cities in the watershed being established river ports. The river gives the receiving waters of the New River an estimated 30% of its water volume. Over three-fourths of the watershed is an extensive karstic (cavern system), which supports fine trout fishing, cave exploration and recreation. Many important festivals and public events are held along the river throughout the watershed.

The Greenbrier is formed at Durbin in northern Pocahontas County by the confluence of the East Fork Greenbrier River and the West Fork Greenbrier River, both of which are short streams rising at elevations exceeding 3,300 feet and flowing for their entire lengths in northern Pocahontas County.

From Durbin the Greenbrier flows generally south-southwest through Pocahontas, Greenbrier and Summers Counties, past several communities including Cass, Marlinton, Hillsboro, Ronceverte, Fort Spring, Alderson, and Hinton, where it flows into the New River.

Along most of its course, the Greenbrier accommodated the celebrated Indian warpath known as the Seneca Trail (Great Indian Warpath). From the vicinity of present-day White Sulphur Springs, the Trail followed Anthony’s Creek down to the Greenbrier near the present Pocahontas-Greenbrier County line. It then ascended the river to the vicinity of Hillsboro and Droop Mountain and made its way through present Pocahontas County by way of future Marlinton, Indian Draft Run, and Edray.

GREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL

The 77-mile-long Greenbrier River Trail State Park is operated by the West Virginia State Parks and is a former C&O railroad grade now used for hiking, bicycling, ski-touring, horseback-riding, and wheel-chair use. The trail passes through numerous small towns and traverses 35 bridges and 2 tunnels as it winds its way along the valley. Most of the trail is adjacent to the free-flowing Greenbrier River and is surrounded by peaks of the Allegheny Mountains.

SIX RIVERS AND TWO LAKES

The property is located in the heart of a biological, historic, and recreational mecca.

The New River Gorge was a vast and largely unsettled wilderness until the C&O railroad was built on the eastern side of the river in the 1880’s. The railroad opened up the rich coalfields and virgin timber stands of the region. Early “mountaineers” settled the area and soon were carving out mountain farms and raising families.

All rivers and lakes are within a two hour’s drive from the property: area encompassing the New River, Greenbrier River, Gauley River, Cherry River, Meadow River and Bluestone River. Within this vast watershed lies the 2000-acre Bluestone Lake and 3000-acre Summersville Lake.

The rivers and lakes are major contributors to the local ecosystem richness and diversity for both plants and animals. There are many animals that live year round and at other times in the water and around the edges of the rivers/lake, including beavers, otters, minks, raccoons, opossums, blue herons, Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, king fishers, minnows, native fish, turtles, salamanders, newts, crayfish, muskrats, bull frogs, eagles, owls, hawks and redwing blackbirds.

Great fishing is found in the river and lakes with small and large mouth bass, crappie, catfish, muskie, walleye, pike and bluegill present in good numbers.

The New River is the second oldest river in the world, preceded only by the Nile; it is the oldest river in North America. The New River is unique because it begins in Blowing Rock, N.C. and flows north through Virginia into West Virginia. The Nile and Amazon are the only other major rivers that also flow north. Year after year, it produces more citation fish than any other warm water river in WV. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, sunfish, hybrid striped bass, and muskie are all common species of fish found in the New River and Bluestone Lake.

Bluestone Lake is over 2000 acres at summer pool and is the state’s third largest body of water. Great hunting and fishing opportunities abound at the 17,632-acre Bluestone Wildlife Area adjacent to the park and nearby Camp Creek State Forest. Summersville Lake is over 3000 acres at summer pool and is the state’s largest body of water.

SNOWSHOE SKI  & RESORT DESTINATION

Snowshoe Mountain Resort is an hour and 30 minutes’ drive and is among the most popular ski resorts in the east-central U.S. The resort, at 4848’ elevation, includes two ski areas, two terrain parks, and 57 downhill slopes that uniquely descend from the ski villages at the top of the mountain. The resort is also among the chief destinations for mountain biking in the Virginias. The International Mountain Bicycling Association has designated the Snowshoe Highland Ride Center as a silver-level destination. The resort boasts 23 restaurants and pubs, 34 lodges and cabin villages, and supports many off-mountain lodging venues year-round.

THE MONONGAHELA NATIONAL FOREST

The Monongahela National Forest was established in 1920 and is encompasses about one million acres. Located in the north central highlands of West Virginia, the Monongahela straddles the highest ridges in the State. Elevation ranges from just under 1000′ to 4863′ above sea level. Variations in terrain and precipitation have created one of the most ecologically diverse National Forests in the country.
Visitors to this beautiful forest enjoy breathtaking vistas, peaceful country roads, gently flowing streams, and glimpses of the many species of plants and animals that inhabit the Forest. You will also see a ‘working’ forest, which produces timber, water, grazing, minerals and recreational opportunities for the region and nation.

The landscape goals for management of the Monongahela are for a largely natural appearing and diverse forest, which provides outstanding dispersed recreation opportunities and supporting developed facilities. Dispersed recreation opportunities abound for hiking, backpacking, fishing, hunting, mountain biking and so on. Developed sites provide tourism destination facilities and base camps so important to the efforts of local Convention and Visitor Bureaus, local communities, and other non-government agencies. Forest Plan Management Prescriptions favor non-motorized recreation for ecological reasons.

The forest is noted for its rugged landscape with spectacular views, blueberry thickets, highland bogs and “sods”, and open areas with exposed rocks. In addition to the second-growth forest trees, the wide range of botanical species found includes rhododendron, laurel on the moist west side of the Allegheny Front, and cactus and endemic shale barren species on the drier eastern slopes.

There are 230 known species of birds inhabiting the MNF: 159 are known to breed there, 89 are Neotropical migrants; 71 transit the forest during migration, but do not breed there, and 17 non-breeding species are Neotropical. The Brooks Bird Club (BBC) conducts an annual bird banding and survey project in the vicinity of Dolly Sods Scenic Area during migration (August – September). The forest provides habitat for 9 federally listed endangered or threatened species: 2 bird species, 2 bat species, 1 subspecies of flying squirrel, 1 salamander species, and 3 plant species. Fifty other species of rare/sensitive plants and animals also occur in the forest.

Larger animals and game species found in the forest include black bear, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, gray and fox squirrels, rabbits, snowshoe hare, woodcock, and grouse. Limited waterfowl habitat exists in certain places. Furbearers include beaver, red and gray fox, bobcat, fisher, river otter, raccoon and mink. Other hunted species include coyotes, skunks, opossums, woodchucks, crows, and weasels. There are 12 species of game (pan) fish and 60 species of non-game or forage fish. Some 90% of the trout waters of West Virginia are within the forest.

ADDITIONAL DESTINATION DRIVE TIMES

Medical
CAMC Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, Fairlea: 50 minutes
Roanoke Valley Medical Center: 2 hours 20 minutes
University of Virginia: 2 hours 40 minutes
WVU Medical Center: 3 hours 30 minutes

Recreation
80,000-acre New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
1,000,000-acre Monongahela National Forest
1,800,000-acre George Washington & Jefferson National Forest
Fair – State Fair of West Virginia, Fairlea: 50 minutes
Lake – Bluestone Lake, Hinton: 1 hour 30 minutes
Lake – Lake Moomaw, Virginia: 1 hour 25 minutes
Lake – Summersville Lake, Summersville: 1 hour 45 minutes
National Park – New River Gorge Bridge, Fayetteville: 1 hour 50 minutes
National Park – New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Sandstone: 1 hour 10 minutes
Resort – Glade Springs Resort: 1 hour 30 minutes
Resort – Pipestem Resort State Park: 1 hour 50 minutes
Resort – The Greenbrier: 50 minutes
Ski Resort – Snowshoe Mountain Ski Resort: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ski Resort – Winterplace Ski Resort: 1 hour 35 minutes
State Park – Beartown State Park: 20 minutes
State Park – Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park: 20 minutes
State Park – Greenbrier State Forest, Harts Run, WV: 1 hour
State Park – Watoga State Park: 40 minutes