Ronceverte, West Virginia – this friendly, casual community lying along the Greenbrier River grew up around the clustered historic homes built by railroad and lumber workers during the latter 1800’s and early 1900’s.  Incorporated in 1882, Ronceverte is French for “Bramble Green”, which is the Gallic equivalent for “Greenbrier”.  Ronceverte sits along the north banks of the Greenbrier River and along U.S. 219.  Along the railroad tracks on main street is where you will find this amazing business opportunity, beside the historical Martin & Jones Hardware Building and across the street from the historical Ronceverte Train Depot.

This commercial building with its approximately 6,000 sq. ft., could be used for many purposes such as a kayak / canoe / water sports equipment rental shop, restaurant, sports bar, climate-controlled storage, an auction house, a music house, a retail or wholesale market, a feed and grain building, or could even be renovated into apartments.  The owners have installed a new insulated roof system that will allow you to utilize the amazing open ceiling which reveals steel beams and antique wood.  This 529 Edgar Avenue commercial building is truly a rare find and business opportunity in the River City.

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.748131°(N), -80.465768°(W)
Address: 529 Edgar Ave, Ronceverte, WV 24970
Elevation: 1675 ft. +/-

RONCEVERTE

Ronceverte, West Virginia, is a great community known for its friendly residents and laid-back lifestyle. Ronceverte is French for “Bramble Green”, which is the Gallic equivalent for “Greenbrier”. The Greenbrier River is still inseparable from the culture of the town itself, considered one of the earliest significant river ports in the Greenbrier River watershed.

Ronceverte is located on highway US-219 and WV-63 approximately four miles south of Lewisburg, West Virginia, and 16 miles north of Union, West Virginia. The community of Fairlea, West Virginia, home of the State Fair of West Virginia, is located just north of the community.

The City of Ronceverte was founded in 1871 by Cecil Clay, and was incorporated in 1882.  A.E. White served as the town’s first mayor. By 1906, Ronceverte had a population of about 1,500.

Ronceverte is a proud railroad town, a part of the C&O track lines that connected Pocahontas County to Hinton, and to Clifton Forge, Virginia.  It became an important shipping point for railroad ties, lumber, and agricultural products.  The town sits on the north bank of the Greenbrier River on US Route 219 and is located on the mainline of the CSX railroad.

The river is still inseparable from the culture of the town itself, considered one of the earliest significant river ports in the Greenbrier River watershed.

Recently, through the efforts of local entrepreneurs and like-minded organizations, Ronceverte is experiencing a resurgence in popularity.

Ronceverte River Festival

The River Festival is usually held in June each year, and features attractions, vendors, live performances, and great fair food!  The main event is The Great Rubber Ducky Race which happens on Saturday.  A single ticket can win you one of many prizes awarded or the Grand Prize of $5,000. The more tickets you buy means more chances you have to win! Events, games, live music and contests fill the weekend and the festival culminates with a Fireworks Display on Saturday night.

THE GREENBRIER RIVER

At 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 paralleled 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 the majority of the important cities in the watershed being established riverports. 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.

PROXIMITY TO AREA CITIES, ATTRACTIONS, and ACTIVITIES

Towns and Highway
I-64 Lewisburg Ronceverte Exit 169: 15 minutes
Beckley: 1 hour
Fairlea: 7 minutes
Lewisburg (main town): 10 minutes
Union: 25 minutes
White Sulphur Springs and The Greenbrier Resort: 25 minutes

Airport
Greenbrier Valley Airport, Lewisburg: 25 minutes

Medical
Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, Fairlea: 5 minutes

Recreation
Greenbrier Aquatic Center, Fairlea: 8 minutes
Greenbrier State Forest, Harts Run, WV: 20 minutes
New River Gorge Bridge, Fayetteville: 1 hour 25 minutes
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Sandstone: 25 minutes
State Fair of West Virginia, Fairlea: 7 minutes

Recreation – Lakes
Bluestone Lake, Hinton: 50 minutes
Lake Moomaw, Virginia: 1 hour 25 minutes
Summersville Lake (Dam), Summersville: 1 hour 25 minutes

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The property was surveyed in 2005, and is shown on a survey plat recorded in Deed Book 496 at page 152. A 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:  City
Sewer:  City
Electricity:  MonPower
Telephone:  Frontier
Internet:  Frontier or other provider
Cellphone Coverage:  Great

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property fronts on Edgar Avenue in Ronceverte.

ZONING

Greenbrier County is subject to some zoning and subdivision regulations. All prospective buyers should consult the County Commission, City Government, 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.

DEED and TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: DB 626 Pg. 167
Greenbrier County, West Virginia

Acreage: 0.289 acre +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Greenbrier County (13), West Virginia
Ronceverte Corp (14)
Tax Map 10 Parcel 216; Class 4

2023 Real Estate Taxes: $684.54

SCHOOLS

Greenbrier County School District

Public Elementary School:
Ronceverte 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)

THE SURROUNDING AREA

The Greenbrier Valley is richly blessed with a wide array of cultural events that keep life in the valley interesting and satisfying. A year-round live theater, Carnegie Hall (one of four in the USA), fine dining, art galleries and boutiques make up the thriving downtown historic district in Lewisburg.

In 2011, Lewisburg was named Coolest Small Town in America and is just a 5 minutes’ drive to complete shopping, churches, schools, medical-dental facilities, fine dining, and a modern hospital. The airport, with the longest runway in the state is just 10 minutes away and has daily flights to Atlanta and Washington DC.

Lewisburg is also the county seat of Greenbrier County and home to 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, education, retail, construction, wood products, mining and agriculture.

For the water enthusiast, the Greenbrier River is the last un-dammed river east of the Mississippi and offers a great float/canoe/kayak experience. The fishing for small mouth bass is considered excellent. The Greenbrier River trail is an 86-mile rails to trails system and offers exceptional hiking and biking opportunities along the scenic Greenbrier River.

Within an hour’s 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 National Gorge National Park. Five other area state parks and state forests offer unlimited hiking, horseback riding, ATV riding and rock climbing opportunities. Snowshoe Ski Resort is a 2 hour drive through some of the most scenic country on the East Coast. The new 10,600 acre Boy Scout High Adventure Camp and home to the US and World Jamboree is an hour fifteen minute drive.

The world renowned Greenbrier Resort, home of the PGA tour, is just 15 minutes’ drive. Several other area golf courses are available in the area. Rock climbing, ziplining, horseback riding and the 100 + mile long Hatfield-McCoy ATV trail makes for a very active recreation area.