OVERVIEW

Crawford is a small, quiet unincorporated community located in Lewis County, West Virginia.  This community is purportedly named in honor of a pioneer settler.  Come see this beautiful 173 acre farm and forest consisting of gently rolling pasture and forestland.

ATTRIBUTES AND HIGHLIGHTS

• +/- 94 acres of gently rolling hay field and pasture
• +/- 79 acres of woodland
• Excellent access to all portions of the property
• Residential, recreational and agricultural potential
• Public water, electric, and good cell service on certain portions of the property
• Potential for free gas to a dwelling
• +/- 18 miles (25 minutes) to Weston, WV – Shopping, restaurants, medical facilities, etc.
• +/- 44 miles (45 minutes) to Clarksburg/Bridgeport, WV
• +/- 58 miles (1 hour) to Fairmont, WV
• +/- 75 miles (1 hour 15 minutes) to Morgantown, WV – Home of West Virginia University and the Mountaineers
• Water sport activities supported by Stonewall Jackson Lake and Stonecoal Lake

LOCATION

Google Coordinates:
Address: No Address assigned at this time since there is no residence on the property
Elevation Range:  +/- 1,100 feet to +/- 1,431 feet

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

Recreational

Crawford Farm and Forest offers many recreational opportunities. The forest offers excellent habitat for wild game, such as white-tail deer, black bear, wild turkey, gray squirrel, grouse, and rabbit for the avid hunter.  Easy access to the farm and forest makes feeding that favorite hunting stand less tiring and more enjoyable.

Along the same lines, nature viewing is a great recreational activity. Attentive wildlife management has been geared not to just game animals. Equal consideration has been extended to increasing the numbers and diversity of species including neo-tropical songbirds, butterflies, turtles, frogs, rabbits, chipmunks, dragonflies, owls, hawks.

Water-sports enthusiasts will find nearby Stonewall Jackson Lake and Stonecoal Lake ideal for swimming, canoeing, fishing, kayaking, and tubing among other unique activities.

Hunting is a first-class experience. White tail deer, black bear, red/gray fox, bobcat, wild turkey, grouse, duck, squirrel, raccoon, fox and rabbit make up the resident wildlife population. It is hard to find a property that has a better mix of wildlife.

Stonewall Jackson Lake

Stonewall Jackson Lake was authorized and approved by the Flood Control Act of 1966.  The purposes of the project, as stated in the authorizing legislation, are flood protection, low flow augmentation for water quality, water supply, fish and wildlife enhancement, hydropower and recreation.  The project, completed in 1990, is the most recent addition to the Pittsburgh District’s 16 flood control projects.

Stonewall Jackson Dam is located on the West Fork River, three miles south of the county seat at Weston, West Virginia and 73 miles upstream from the river’s mouth.  From its source in Lewis and Upshur Counties, the West Fork River flows northward for 98.7 miles to Fairmont, West Virginia.  There it joins the Tygart River to form the Monongahela River.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers retains 330 acres of land at the dam site for operation of the dam and support facilities. All remaining federal lands are leased to the state of West Virginia.  These consist of roughly 2,000 acres managed by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as a state park and 18,289 acres of land and water managed for public hunting and fishing.

Stonewall Jackson Lake provides an ideal setting for your pleasure and relaxation.  Boating, fishing, hunting, camping and hiking are just a few of the many recreational opportunities that are available at the lake. Corps of Engineers’ facilities include an administration building with a visitor information center and public restrooms, an outdoor plaza, walkways and overlook for viewing the dam, fishing access to the tail water area, hiking trail and visitor parking areas.

Backwater areas, which provide excellent fishing opportunities, are easily accessible either by boat or by trail. Canoeists and other paddlers can explore the many inlets and backwater areas along the lake’s 82-mile shoreline. These have been designated minimum wake areas and offer visitors serenity and a place to quietly observe nature.

Stonewall Resort

Stonewall Resort combines the pristine lake surroundings with all the comforts of home. Here, in the midst of lush, rolling hills and tranquil lake waters, the beautiful Adirondack-style lodge offers a refreshing perspective, state-of-the-art conference facilities and a luxury resort experience. From the resort’s own Mtn. Laurel Spa, 374-slip boat marina and award-winning Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course, guests can enjoy a wide range of recreational activities.

Stonecoal Lake

Stonecoal Reservoir is a 550-acre lake nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains between the cities of Weston and Buckhannon, West Virginia. The lakes sits within a 3,000-acre Wildlife Management Area and offers excellent boating, fishing, and hunting opportunities.

Located in both Lewis and Upshur counties, Stonecoal Reservoir currently holds a number of state records for trophy size fish. The state record muskellunge was caught in 2003 at 52.7 inches and 38.5 pounds. A shorter, but heavier (49.75 lbs) muskie was also pulled from the lake’s water. Stonecoal Reservoir also holds state records for rainbow trout (11.74 lbs), golden rainbow trout (8.63 lbs) and carp (41.5 lbs). There are two concrete boat ramps, located at both ends of the lake. Motorboats are restricted to 10 horsepower. Once on the lake, anglers have a good chance of catching largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, channel catfish, crappie, bluegill, and walleye in addition to the record setting species. The lake is stocked regularly. The foot of the Stonecoal Creek Dam, on the western shore, is noted as an excellent fishing hole.

The Stonecoal Reservoir Wildlife Management Area offers 3,000 acres of hunting and hiking opportunities. Hardwood forests cover 80 percent of the area where hunting opportunities abound for deer, bear, turkey, squirrel, and waterfowl.

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

Crawford Farm and Forest’s 79-acre timber resource is comprised of high-quality Red Oak, Black Cherry, White Oak, Sugar Maple, Soft Maple, Hickory and Poplar. This well managed forest will provide a great deal of flexibility to the next ownership in terms of potential harvest revenue and can be managed to provide cash flow opportunities to offset holding cost and long-term asset appreciation.

Forest-wide, most stands are fully stocked to overstocked, providing the next ownership with a great deal of flexibility in shaping their own silvicultural legacy. Stem quality forest-wide can be considered excellent with the forest containing an abundant current and future sawlog source.

The forest’s timber component has been well managed over the years. Portions of the forest were thinned as prudent forest management called for. The forest could benefit from an immediate marked thinning which would generate considerable income and improve forest health. The forest has matured into higher-value sawtimber diameter classes with an abundant growing stock already in place for the future.

Diameters are well represented across the commercial spectrum with a notable mature size class, as well as abundant pole size timber and growing stock.

A few “Heritage Trees” are scattered throughout the forest. These ancient trees, some 150+ years old, have withstood the test of time, weathering ice, wind, lightning strikes and fire.

The forest is healthy and there are no current signs of gypsy moth. The Emerald Ash Borer is present, and it is anticipated that the Ash component will be in decline over the next decade. The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid is present and the Eastern Hemlock species is in decline. There have been no forest fires in the recent memory.

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

Beechnuts, Hickory nuts, sweet White Oak and Red Oak Acorns provide a sustainable food source for the squirrels, chipmunks, whitetail deer and wild turkey that live in abundance in the forest.

Not surprising, the trees, shrubs and meadow grasses are highly productive in producing tons and tons of oxygen while at the same time eliminating huge amounts of Carbon Dioxide; Nature’s way of reducing our Carbon Footprint.

WATER RESOURCES

A blue line stream runs generally runs through the middle of the property for about 1/2 mile, which should flow for most of the year, especially during rain events and periods of snow melt.

MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia is one of the states in the US that has two ownership titles, those being SURFACE RIGHTS and MINERAL RIGHTS. A title search for mineral rights ownership has not been conducted.  The Seller will be retaining all mineral rights in which the Seller has to the mineral estate.  The Seller is, however, willing to provide a certain amount of free gas to a dwelling located on the property; provided that the gas well is producing gas in commercial quantities.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property does not have a current survey. A metes and bounds description is found in the deed and the location of the property is based on the tax maps obtained through the Lewis County Assessor’s Office and online information.  Before purchasing the property, potential buyers should consult a licensed surveyor to determine the actual location of the property and the true number of acres.

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

There is good paved road and gravel road access to the property via County Routes 48/1 and 48/2.  There is a total of about 1 ¼ miles of county road frontage.

UTILITIES

Water: Public water present
Sewer: Septic system would have to be installed
Electricity: Present
Telephone: Present
Internet: Unknown
Cellphone Coverage:  Good in spots

ZONING

All prospective buyers should consult the Lewis County Commission and the Health Department for details regarding zoning, building codes and installation of septic systems.

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: DB 310 Pg. 16, DB 314 PG 661
Lewis County, West Virginia
Acreage: 173.28 acres +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Lewis County (21), West Virginia
Collins Settlement District (1)
Tax Map 8P Parcels 2, 10, 11, 12, and 15

2019 Total Real Estate Taxes: $2137.37

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Lewis County School District

Public Elementary Schools:
Jane Lew Elementary School
Leading Creek Elementary School
Peterson-Central Elementary School
Roanoke Elementary School

Public Middle School:
Robert L. Bland Middle School

Public High School:
Lewis County High School