WELCOME TO ELMHURST

Elmhurst is situated on 24 acres of beautiful bottomland located on the banks of the Greenbrier River and Howards Creek. Built in 1824, Elmhurst is a lovey brick home nestled in a peaceful setting. The Greenbrier River is the last undammed river east of the Mississippi and Howards Creek is one of the better known trout streams in the state. Elmhurst is just a 5 minutes drive to historic Lewisburg and to the world renowned Greenbrier Resort.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELMHURST

When you step through the two-story portico and white columns of Elmhurst, across the threshold and into the bright, airy foyer, a sense of history caroms through this nearly 200-year old historic property.

The history of the town of Caldwell itself traces back to this once inn and tavern. Built in 1824 on the banks of The Greenbrier River, Elmhurst was the creation of one Henry B. Hunter. A new toll bridge had recently replaced a ferry crossing and Hunter had the keen sense to take advantage of the necessary stop toll=payer would have to make.

That, coupled with the inn’s tree-shaded, peaceful setting along the banks of the confluence of The Greenbrier River and Howard’s Creek, meant Elmhurst quickly became a busy stayover on the old stage and wagon road. With style and panache rarely seen in early 19th-century inns, Elmhurst managed to attract a number of travellers looking visit some of the pastoral countryside and mineral springs the area was so well-known for enjoying. In fact, registry records show that Martin Van Buren and his Secretary of War were guests here in 1837.

John North purchased the property in the mid 1800s, and presented the tavern to his daughter Isabelle and her new husband James Caldwell in 1851. After the Battle of Lewisburg in 1862, Confederate General Henry Heth withdrew his forces across the Greenbrier, burned the toll bridge into its chilly spring waters, and set up gun emplacements and trenches near the home. In 1864, Isabelle became gravely ill and her illness prevented Federal Forces from evacuating the entire property. The officers even went to the lengths of having an Army surgeon confirm that moving the family member would inevitably cause her death. Legend has it that the family had just enough advanced notice to hide their most prized possessions, including burying the silverware beneath the dirt floor of the poultry house, which still stands in the yard today.

In notes by the U.S. Department of the Interior, when presenting the property to the National Registry of Historic Properties, the author writes, “It was the existence of inns like Elmhurst that made travel a bit more pleasant. This helped in its own way in the development of commerce between east and west…and stages needed a [lace to stop and change horses while giving their passengers a place to rest and have a meal. Elmhurst admirably satisfied these, and the house attracted well-known people to the “picnic parties” held there by guests from the nearby Old White Hotel.”

Ironically, it was this very development that Elmhurst helped to foster that ultimately led to its decline. With the emphasis shifting from roads to rail, particularly through the rugged Allegheny Mountains, came a slow demise to the once bustling business of roadside inns.

The property shifted through a number of owners over the years when Emil Cadle purchased the property in 2011 and began the two year restoration of Elmhurst.

These first impressions of Elmhurst are indeed warranted—its aged red brick exterior, the symmetry of its construction, the decorative front door with reeded pilasters flanking it sides and the arched overlight with filigree designs of ovals, circles and diamonds.

Another unique feature of Elmhurst is the knee-high, hand-stacked stonewall that fronts the home and opens to the narrow pathway that leads to its entrance. With the deep-set door beneath a portico supported by four square columns and capped by an ornamental steeped gable, the front of the home is both stately and elegant in its symmetry and proportion. Two high chimneys appoint both the western and eastern flanks of the home, adding a touch of gothic to this otherwise Georgian masterpiece.

Upon entering the home you’ll find wide-plank, heart pine floors throughout the first level—a “double-pile” layout with a wide central hall and two large rooms opening on each side. A carved staircase leads to a number of rooms on the second level that work and wind their way to the back of the home, which presents a layout more attuned to farmhouses of the surrounding countryside.

Although some of Elmhurst’s rooms have been partitioned to include bathrooms and other modern amenities, the overall integrity of the design remains intact, and the structure sits mostly as has for the past 180 years.

The original kitchen sat detached from the home, as was typical for safety reasons in earlier times. Once the old kitchen was integrated into the rest of the home, this area became the servants’ quarters. Today, the kitchen features solid cabinetry, an apron-front farm sink, hand hewn exposed oak beams, and a beautiful view out to the eastern side of the property.

Hand-carved mantels and other woodwork throughout the home are exquisite and represent the attention to detail often found in such craftsmanship of the 19th-century.

The home sits on a 24 acre parcel of land that borders both The Greenbrier River and Howard’s Creek and is dotted with a number of walnuts, oaks, sugar maples and sycamores.

Finches and jays fly about with no thought of the Midland Trail that carries traffic between Lewisburg and White Sulphur Springs only 40 yards away.

HOME SPECIFICATIONS

Foundation: Hand-cut Limestone & Sandstone
Roof: Tin
Date of Roof: 1824(?)
Floor: Wide plank heart pine
Heat: Natural Gas Hot water Furnace
Air-conditioning: none, rarely needed
Water:City
Sewer: City
Telephone: Landline- temporarily disconnected.
Cellphone Coverage: very good.
Items to Convey: Appliances and other personal property to be determined at time of sale.

DIMENSIONS

ELMHURST FIRST FLOOR
Total Square Feet 3,570

Living Room ~ 22.5×20.5
Study ~ 13.5×16.5
Library ~ 19×16.5
Formal Dining Room ~ 15×20.5
Kitchen ~ 26×20.5
Bathroom ~ 9.5×5
1824 Fireplace/Dutch Oven ~ 21×20.5
Courtyard Porch ~ 48×8
Sunroom ~ 30×12
Front Porch ~ 30×10

ELMHURST SECOND FLOOR
Total Square Feet 3,570

Master Bedroom ~ 21×21
Bedroom 1 ~ 14×16
Bedroom 2 ~ 18×13.5
Bedroom 3 ~ 13.5×17
Bedroom 4 ~ 19×17
Bedroom 5 ~ 13×9.5
Storage ~ 11×18
Master Bath ~ 8.5×8
Bathroom 1 ~ 13×6.5
Bathroom 2 ~ 10×5
Laundry ~ 11×6.5
Sunroom ~ 30×12

TOTAL SQUARE FEET 7,140

Basement- partial unfinished
Attic : Large, great for storage

THE AREA

Lewisburg, which is the Greenbrier County seat, was voted the Coolest Small Town in American in 2011 and is just a 5 minute drive from Elmhurst to the thriving downtown historic district. The downtown boasts a year round live theater, Carnegie Hall, several fabulous restaurants, antique shops and boutiques. There is also a modern hospital and all attendant medical facilities along with all the big box stores.

The Greenbrier County Airport, which has WV’s longest runway, is located just 10 minutes away and has daily flights to Atlanta and Washington DC. The world famous Greenbrier Resort is 5 minutes drive and Snowshoe Ski Resort is a 90 minutes drive. Roanoke is 90 minutes, DC is 4 hours and Charlotte is 3 hours away.

FARM- FOREST RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE

Elmhurst Farm has about 24 acres total acres. About 20 acres is in open fields and the balance is in mature woodlands.

The open land is flat to gently rolling and currently being used to grow hay for livestock. In 2013, about 50 1000’ round bales of hay were produced. This is the equivalent of 500 square bales.

This woodland acreage is primarily located along the bank of the river and along the banks of Howard’s creek. The creek bank is a very special environment creating an enchanting feel and look to the property. Some of the trees would be considered “Heritage Trees”. These ancient trees, some of which are 200-300 years old, have withstood the test of time, weathering ice, wind, lightning strikes, fire and of course – woodpeckers. One extremely large Sycamore (Platnus Occidentalis) growing in the meadow has a circumference of over 8 feet. There are also several Black Walnut trees scattered about that are very beautiful and stately and produce an abundance of tasty walnuts in the fall of the year.

Some of the species found on the property are Black Walnut, White Oak, Tulip Poplar, Red Oak, Sugar Maple, Hickory, Sycamore and Ash. No forest pests such as Gypsy Moth or Emerald Ash Borer have been found on the property.

Elmhurst is home to a wide array of wildlife which includes bald eagles, a variety of song birds, owls, hawks, woodpeckers, ravens and wild turkeys. White tailed deer, raccoon, opossums, rabbits, chipmunks, coyotes and bobcats are a part of the resident wildlife population.

MINERALS RESOURCES

The Marcellus Shale underlies the property at a depth of 5000’+. The east coast Marcellus Shale Region is thought to contain enough natural gas to power the United States for over 100 years.

There is a currently no oil and gas lease on the property. The mineral rights the seller owns will transfer to the purchaser at closing. There are no known coal reserves underlying the property.

GREENBRIER RIVER AND RIVER TRAIL

Elmhurst fronts the Greenbrier for over 600 feet and offers fantastic fishing from the bank. The riverbank is gently sloping affording easy access for dropping in a raft, canoe or kyak.

The Greenbrier River is 173 miles long is the last free flowing river east of the Mississippi. It is an excellent river to float or canoe and is well known for its large and small mouth bass fishing. It is the gateway to water recreation and fun as it is at most times lazy and easy to navigate.

The Greenbrier River is formed by the confluence of the East Fork Greenbrier River and the West Fork Greenbrier River in the town of Durbin, West Virginia. From Durbin the Greenbrier River flows southwesterly through Pocahontas, Greenbrier, Monroe, and Summers Counties. It flows through several communities including Cass, Marlinton, Hillsboro, Ronceverte, Fort Spring, Alderson, and Hinton. The Greenbrier River joins the New River in the town of Hinton, West Virginia.

The property is a shortbike ride or walk to the Greenbrier River Trial and is operated by the West Virginia State Parks. The trail is a 77-mile long former railroad, 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.

HOWARDS CREEK

Howards Creek forms the southern boundary of the Elmhurst. The creek boundary runs for over 1700 feet and flows directly into the Greenbrier River. Howards Creek is well known for its superb trout fishing with its deep pools and gentle sloping banks. The fly fishing in the creek compliments the great float fishing experience that can be found in the river.

ACCESS AND BOUNDARIES

The property fronts along the state maintained US Route 60 and County Route 63. The Greenbrier River is the western boundary and Howards creek is the southern boundy. The property is made up of two parcels. One of the parcels has been surveyed and the 4 acres parcel across Howards Creek has not been recently surveyed.

The elevation does not change much owing to the flat to rolling lay of the land. Elevation at the home is 1691’.

UTILITIES AND SERVICES

There is public water and sewer as and also natural gas, phone and cable.

FedX and UPS, garbage and school buses run a regular route in this area. The local post office is Caldwell and the zipcode is 24925. The post office is located just across the street from Elmhurst.

ZONING

Greenbrier County has some zoning in this area of the county. However, there is a countywide Major and Minor Sub-development code that all prospective buyers who wish to subdivide the property should consult with the Greenbrier Planning Commission on.

Standard building codes and septic installation codes are in effect throughout the county and all prospective buyers should check with the Greenbrier County Planning Commission and Health Department when considering building or renovating improvements to the property.

LOCATION

Elmhurst is located on US Route 60 just 3 miles east of Lewisburg, Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The historic town of Lewisburg is the county seat. Elevation of the property is 1691’ at the main gate overlooking the historic home.

Google Coordinates for the main gate are:

LATITUDE 037.78069 N

LONGITUDE 080.396513 W

TAXES AND DEED INFORMATION

The property is assessed in White Sulphur District (#16), on Tax Map 25- parcels 5 and 67 consisting of approximately 24 acres.

Taxes for 2012 were assessed as Class III property in the amount of $2601.09.

The deeds are recorded in the Greenbrier County Courthouse, Lewisburg.

Call today to schedule your personal tour of this amazing property.