OVERVIEW

A 15-minute drive south of Lewisburg and White Sulphur Springs, this well-preserved double log cabin on 42 pastoral acres remains one of the landmark residences of the Greenbrier Valley. Including three large bedrooms, a bath-and-a-half, and five stone fireplaces, the home, and surrounding farmstead are imbued with the history of the scenic bluegrass landscape.

HIGHLIGHTS

• 1840 double log cabin residence
• 3,000 square feet interior space
• Historic Organ Cave
• Spacious principal rooms
• Five stone fireplaces
• 6,000 square foot barn
• Frontage on scenic US-219
• Six miles from Greenbrier River Trail
• Proximity to The Greenbrier
• Central to historical, recreational destination region
• 15-minute drive to Union, Lewisburg, White Sulphur Springs

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.700132, -80.438721
Address: 1724 Seneca Trail South, Ronceverte, WV 24970
Elevation Range: 2,199 to 2,384 feet

ABOUT THE HOUSE

Built in about 1840, this gracious double log cabin, the ancestral home of the Level family, remains one of the landmark residences of the Greenbrier Valley. Renowned for its exceptional size, a rarity among residences built of hewn timber, it includes more than 3,000 square feet of interior space and was described in the 1917 History of Greenbrier County as “a veritable mansion in its day, and as to things substantial and comfortable is not second to some others more palatial of these latter times.” Even today, the house may be considered exceptionally large.

On the upper floor, the residence includes three large bedrooms, each of more than 255 square feet, and, on the first floor, equally large dining, living, and family rooms. A central entrance hall with a hand-crafted stairway leads into all sections of the house, including the rear kitchen wing, which extends to a family room with a massive cooking hearth. Five large fireplaces of handworked limestone grace its principal rooms, all finished in period oak and heart-of-pine. Remarkable in their height, ceilings in the original log sections of the house exceed 10 feet.

A large farmhouse kitchen, a servant’s stair, a screened rear porch, and utility spaces blend indoor and outdoor functionality for country living. A full bath with bright tilework and a convenient half-bath off the stair hall are suitable for residents and guests. The house is heated chiefly with water-baseboard heat. A cellar and hewn-timber smoke house remain adjacent to the rear of the house.

DIMENSIONS

First Floor: 1,500 square feet
Entrance Hall — 10′ 5″ x 19′ 6″
Living Room — 19′ 7″ x 19 ‘6″
Dining Room — 19’ 5″ x 19 ‘6″
Family Room — 17′ 11″ x 19′ 0″
Kitchen — 17′ 11″ x 14′ 1″
Mud Room — 11′ 11″ x 17′ 7″
Screened Porch — 7′ 5″ x 15′ 0″
Half Bath — 4′ 4″ x 6′ 0″
Storage — 6′ 1″ x 3′ 7″

Second Floor: 1,500 square feet
Upper Hall — 10′ 11″ x 11′ 2″
Bedroom — 19′ 7″ x 19′ 6″
Bedroom — 18′ 11″ x 19′ 6″
Bedroom — 17′ 11″ x 15′ 3″
Full Bath — 9′ 0″ x 6′ 9″
Laundry — 10′ 10″ x 14′ 1″
Laundry Hall — 6′ 9″ x 4′ 8″
Rear Stair Hall — 6′ 7″ x 3’ 2″

TOTAL: 3,000 square feet

DEPENDENCIES & OUTBUILDINGS

Smoke House — 11′ 7″ x 11′ 5″

Cellar — 17′ 0″ x 16′ 2″
Barn — 45′ 0″ x 155′ 0″

HISTORY OF THE HOME

The residence was built in 1840 for James Level, an Irish émigré who arrived in the United States sometime after the War of 1812. Level purchased a 300-acre tract of rolling grassland in the bluegrass savannas of the Greenbrier Valley region, also known as The Levels, from the Creigh estate for $1,400. His youngest son, William Level, fought for the Confederacy and was killed in the Battle of Fayetteville (now in West Virginia)  in 1862. Though many of the first families of the valley had settled in and near Lewisburg in the late 1700s, the Levels quickly rose in stature and were counted among the more prominent farmers and civic leaders in the region.

The home was located conspicuously along the Salt Sulphur Springs Turnpike, a thoroughfare famous as a stage-coach route between the mineral-spring resorts at White Sulphur Springs and Salt Sulphur Springs. It had earlier been part of a Native American trail used by the Seneca, a people of the Iroquois, who used it as a travel route along the eastern slopes of the Allegheny Mountains. In the 1920s, the pike became part of the new U.S. highway system and was shifted some 400 feet west, though the original route remains a farm lane near the front of the dooryard.

ABOUT THE FARM

The residence sits near the front of a 42-acre tract, the central part of the original 300-acre farm established by James Level in 1840. Like other farms in the region, it is known for its sweet soil, underlain by limestone, which supports rich bluegrass. Its fields have been leased as pasture and grazing land in recent years. Approximately 12 of its acres are fenced for cattle and include a barn of roughly 6,000 square feet. The property is suited to be used for a wide range of animals. A variety of crops can be cultivated in the farm and forest areas.

FOREST / TIMBER RESOURCES

A large part of the property includes forest land, ideal for hunting and wildlife watching. An estimate for the value of the forest has yet to be conducted.

WILDLIFE

The property boasts a mixture of field and forest that supports a diverse wildlife population. Regionally indigenous wildlife bear, deer, grouse, fox, mink, squirrel, raccoon, turkey, beaver, bobcat, and muskrat. Songbirds and waterfowl are common, as are larger birds of prey, including owls, hawks, and the occasional bald eagle. The cool streams that descend off the surrounding mountains support trout and many other popular fish species.

WATER

Two small ponds have been established on the property. Both are less than an acre. One is in a pasture and is used to water cattle. The other is in the woodland at the rear of the property and supports local wildlife.

MINERAL RESOURCES

West Virginia is one of the U.S. states with two ownership titles: SURFACE RIGHTS and MINERAL RIGHTS. A title search for mineral rights ownership has yet to be conducted. All rights the owner has will convey with the property. A mineral title search could be performed by a title attorney simultaneously with the surface title search.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property was surveyed in 2003 and is designated as “TRACT NO. 1, 42.193 ACRES (NET)” on a survey plat recorded as Greenbrier County Instrument 298044, MAP/CABINET Book 7 at page 128. The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre.

UTILITIES

Water: well
Sewer: septic
Electricity: MonPower
Telephone: Suddenlink
Internet: Suddenlink
Cellphone Coverage: several carriers

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property has frontage on US-219, and its driveway connects directly to US-219, also known as the Seneca Trail. A popular scenic route, its average daily traffic count is 3,300 vehicles.

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.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The property is estimated to include about two acres of home grounds, about 20 acres of forest, and about 19 acres of fields. A stock-watering pond and a woodland pond are both almost an acre apiece.

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: Deedbook 480, Page 627
Greenbrier County, West Virginia
Acreage: 42.193 Net acres +/- by survey

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Greenbrier County (13), West Virginia
Irish Corner District (8)
Tax Map 25 Parcel 9.1; Class 2

2023 Real Estate Taxes: $622.20

ABOUT THE GREENBRIER VALLEY REGION

Often counted among the most beautiful landscapes in the world, the Greenbrier Valley is a wonderland of bluegrass pastures and delightful small towns set beneath the backdrop of the southern Allegheny Mountains, a range of the Appalachian Mountains that extends southward from the Poconos in northwestern Pennsylvania.

The region is perhaps best known for its mineral springs, which, as early as the late 1700s, began to attract affluent southerners who sought relief from many ailments the waters were believed to possess. The White Sulphur Spring, Salt Sulphur Spring, and Old Sweet Spring were among the best-known in the immediate area of the property. The Greenbrier at White Sulphur Springs continues to attract thousands of tourists annually.

A 20-minute drive north of the property, historic Lewisburg is the county seat of Greenbrier County and the largest city in the region, with a population of nearly 4,000 residents during the 2020 census. Other important nearby communities include Union, the county seat of Monroe County, with just more than 400 residents; Alderson, with nearly 1,000; nearby Ronceverte, with 1,500; and White Sulphur Springs, with more than 2,000. All are renowned for their well-preserved historic characters.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The property is located within the Greenbrier County School District and is served by Ronceverte Elementary School, Eastern Greenbrier Middle School, and Greenbrier East High School. The district also supports home-schooling in accordance with the W.Va. Department of Education.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

Several private schools also serve the region, including 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).

HIGHER EDUCATION

The West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, one of the state’s three medical schools, is a 15-minute drive from the property, as is the Lewisburg campus of New River Community and Technical College. Concord University, at Beckley, and the southern campus of West Virginia University at Beckley are an hour’s drive. Virginia Tech and Bluefield State College are a drive of an hour and a half.

HEALTH CARE

The region is a world-renowned destination for healthcare and has been since the late 1700s when its mineral springs attracted affluent southerners in search of relief from various ailments. Among the most popular mineral springs in the world, the White Sulphur Springs remains home to the Greenbrier Clinic at The Greenbrier resort. Established in the 1940s to serve Congress, the clinic provides full-service diagnostic and ambulatory surgery care with a comprehensive family care practice and a world-renowned medical spa. The Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, a 15-minute drive from the property, is a 122-bed facility providing inpatient and outpatient care, emergency, surgical, and diagnostic services. More than a dozen outpatient clinics serve the greater Greenbrier Valley region.

AIR PASSENGER SERVICE

Air service is provided at Greenbrier Valley Airport at Lewisburg, a 25-minute drive from the property. Other nearby airports include Raleigh County Memorial Airport at Beckley, an hour’s drive, and Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport at Roanoke, a 1.5-hour drive.

RAIL PASSENGER SERVICE

The property is a drive of approximately 20 minutes from Amtrak stations at Alderson and White Sulphur Springs. The Amtrak Cardinal runs tri-weekly through New York City, Washington, Charleston, Huntington, Cincinnati, and Chicago.

TOURISM & RECREATION

The property is located in a high-capacity tourism and outdoor recreation area. Since the late 1700s, the region’s mineral springs have attracted millions of tourists. Believed to possess curative potential, springs such as Salt Sulphur Springs, White Sulphur Springs, and Old Sweet Springs, perhaps the most notable in the immediate area, attracted wealthy patrons from the southeastern U.S.

An hour’s drive away, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is America’s newest national park and attracts more than three million guests annually. The region is also home to two national forests, the Greenbrier State Forest and Moncove Lake State Park, which attract tens of thousands of visitors year-round. Closer to home, Organ Cave is a world-renowned tourist attraction, and nearby Lewisburg, a well-preserved national historic district, is a perennial popular destination for visitors.

Greenbrier River Trail

The 77-mile Greenbrier River Trail follows the Greenbrier River upstream from near Lewisburg to Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, coursing through scenic mountain villages. It was elected to the National Rail-Trail Hall of Fame in 2012 and was named by Backpacker magazine as one of the Top 10 hiking trails in the United States.

The Greenbrier

A 20-minute drive from the property, The Greenbrier at White Sulphur Springs continues to attract thousands of guests annually. It includes 710 guest rooms, 35 retail shops, 20 restaurants and lounges, and more than 55 indoor and outdoor activities, including four world-class golf courses. Twenty-eight U.S. presidents have stayed at the hotel.

Historic Lewisburg

Vogue, Southern Living, and USA Today have all recently recognized Lewisburg as among the best small towns in the U.S., primarily due to its carefully preserved historic district and location within the scenic Greenbrier Valley of southeastern West Virginia. Attractions in the community include historic sites, the Carnegie Museum, and the Greenbrier Valley Theater.

Greenbrier State Forest

Protecting more than 5,133-acre in the southernmost reaches of the Allegheny Mountains, the Greenbrier State Forest is a popular destination for hikers and bikers from across the U.S. and attracts many guests of The Greenbrier, located near its primary entrance. The forest is also a favorite locale for hunters and anglers.

Organ Cave / Lost World Caverns

The Greenbrier Valley is world-renowned for its elaborate caverns, many of which travel for miles beneath the valley. Two caverns near Lewisburg — Organ Cave and Lost World Caverns — have traditionally attracted thousands of tourists annually. The Organ Cave cavern complex, part of which travels beneath the property, is a National Natural Landmark.

About the Seneca Trail

The residence looks out across scenic byway US-219, also known as the historic Seneca Trail, a two-lane route counted among the nation’s best fall folliage drives. Renowned for its pastoral views, it connects a string of historical small towns established in the early 1800s on what was then the American frontier. The trail was named for the Seneca, a people of the Iroquois Confederacy who used it a chief travel route in the 1700s.

ESTIMATED DRIVE TIMES

Beckley, WV — 1 hour
Charleston, WV — 2 hours
Charlotte, NC — 4 hours
Charlottesville, VA — 2.5 hours
Columbus, OH — 5 hours
Lexington, KY — 5 hours
Pittsburgh, PA — 4 hours
Raleigh, NC — 5 hours
Roanoke, VA — 2 hours
Richmond, VA — 4 hours
Washington, DC — 4.5 hours