DESCRIPTION

Springfield Forest – 143 +/- acres is a beautiful recreational property is the perfect retreat for the outdoor enthusiast wanting a place to hike, hunt, watch nature or kick back and relax. The 6 acre field, old cabin, farm pond, hiking and ATV trails, long views of the distant mountains make for a nice place to invest in for the long-term.

Mountain wildflowers can be enjoyed every spring and summer including the rare “Ladies Slipper” and many others running the spectrum of mountain irises to daffodils.

There are about two miles of walking or ATV trails winding through the forest. As you walk along the trailsyou will find many ancient “heritage” trees. These trees were here when the homesteaders moved in during the late 1800’s and have withstood the test of time and the elements.

Wildlife is abundant in the area and include white-tailed deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbits and many species of song birds. Tree species include white oak, red oak, sugar maple, black walnut, hickory, tulip poplar, black cherry and mountain ash.

STRUCTURES & RESOURCES – OVERVIEW

Acreage: 143 +/-
Cabin 580+/- sq feet, with covered front porch
Machine Shed
Storage building
Spring House
Small Storage building
Farm Pond
4 Seasonal Streams
Bog area
Young forest emerging from old fields
Old Growth Forest
6 acre +/- Meadow

LOCATION/ ACCESS

Address:
Baker Mountain Road 23/15 – No 911 address assigned yet
Union, WV 24983

Property is accessed by state maintained graveled Baker Mountain Road (CR 23/15) and then a private lane for ¼ mile.

Coordinates:
LAT 37.5376315N
LON 080.6075670W

Elevation: 2,050’

UTILITIES

Water: possibly a spring to cabin.
Sewer: Unknown at this time.
Phone: Onsite
Electricity: On site

CABIN DETAILS

580 sq feet +/- . Cabin is older and needs work but roof and foundation seem ok.
Bedrooms: 1
Bathroom:1
Kitchen:1
Living Room:1
Storage Room:1
Total Rooms: 5
Heating: Cook Stove & Fireplace
Roof: Metal
Flooring: Hardwood
Fireplace:yes
Items to Convey: Any personal property left on the property after the closing will convey.

WATER RESOURCES

*A small farm pond is located near the cabin.
*Four other ephemeral streams are located in the hollows interspersed throughout the property creating a dynamic environment.
*A bog with sedges and rushes is located in the hollow to the right of the cabin.

Large trees, moss, ferns and wildflowers growing in the hollows create a serene and tranquil setting.

TIMBER – MINERALS – AGRICULTURE – WILDLIFE

The Springfield Forest is a mixture of majestic old growth timber stands adjacent to former farm fields. Many mountain homesteads were abandoned after World War II when the mountaineers left the state to find employment in the northern cities. This was also the time when the horse/oxen drawn farm machinery was replaced with the “modern” farm tractor. The steeper fields and pastures where no longer tended as the tractors could not navigate the hillsides like the horses and oxen could. Monroe County had much about 40% more land in pasture and crop fields in the 1950’s than today. The old fields on Springfield Forest have been transformed into a lush forest dominated by Black Cherry, Yellow Poplar, Black Walnut, Hickory and Black Locust.

There is a pretty stand of white pine growing just above the cabin. This stand of pine was probably planted in the1970’s as part of a 4H project or similar conservation effort. Several older white pines are scattered throughout the property.

A section of the northern portion of the forest was harvested in the 1960’s for mine props to be used for roof supports in the coal mines located in the southern counties of WV. This area of the property is very well stocked with young pole size poplar, oak and maple timber.

The timber stands that were not formerly in agriculture contain some outstanding old growth trees. Huge white oak, red oak, hickory, sugar maple, chestnut oak and yellow poplar trees dominate this lush and very special forest. Some of these trees would be considered “Legacy Trees”, those trees that were here before the mountaineers settled the mountains in the late 1800’s and have withstood the test of time.

Each year, the forest produces tons of Oxygen while taking in tons of Carbon Dioxide, helping to lessen mankind’s Carbon Footprint. This is an important long-term value so often overlooked when thinking about the forest.

The mineral rights and timber rights will convey with the property. Prospective buyers will want to have their attorney do a title search to confirm the title to the mineral rights. There are currently no leases of any kind on the property.

The cabin overlooks a pretty little meadow, about 6 acres in size. This meadow has soil suitable to grow crops such as vegetable, berries, fruits and even livestock and poultry. A very old and large pear tree is growing near the cabin. Several large piles of field stone can be found throughout the forest. These stone piles testify to the back breaking work the early settlers put in to clear the forest and establish the fields that provided a subsistence living.

The Springfield Forest produces tons and tons of acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, wild grapes, blackberries, beechnuts, poplar and maple seeds. Because there is such an amazing food source, there is an abundance of wildlife, including wild turkey, white tail deer, raccoons, opossums, squirrels and chipmunks. The dense forest, with its closed canopy, is home to a variety of song birds, owls, ravens, buzzards, woodpeckers and hawks. Many of these birds nest in the “den trees”, which are full of holes and cavities. The birds feed on a variety of insects, including hundreds of thousands small caterpillars that inhabit the upper reaches of the canopy.

LOCAL AREA & RECREATION

The charming village of Union, which is the Monroe County seat, is just a 15 minute drive. Banking, healthcare facilities, drugstore, grocery, hardware, auto parts and farm supply are readily available. Some of the friendliest people in West Virginia can be found in Monroe County. Monroe County has a population of about 13,000 residents and does not have a stoplight and has more cattle and sheep than people. There are no fast food restaurants but there are the local restaurants, Corner Café and the Kalico Kitche, in downtown Union that are great place to meet friends and enjoy a great home cooked meal.

Historic Lewisburg is located just 40 minutes to the North with all the charm of a small town and all the amenities of a larger city. Designated the “Coolest Small Town in America” in 2011, fine dining, arts and entertainment flourish in the Lewisburg area while “big box” stores like Walmart and Lowes are also available along with the Greenbrier Valley Medical Center and other medical services.

Lewisburg is also home to Carnegie Hall, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, the WV School of Osteopathic Medicine, a community college, and is the county seat for Greenbrier County.

The Greenbrier Valley Airport with daily flights to Atlanta and Washington, DC is located just outside of Lewisburg and just 35 minutes from the property.

The world famous Greenbrier Resort is 45 minute drive and Snowshoe Ski Resort is within a 2 hour drive as well.

Within an hour to two hour drive are located some of the finest recreational facilities in West Virginia. Snowshoe Ski Resort, whitewater rafting / fishing on the Greenbrier, New River and Gauley River, 2000 acre Bluestone Lake, 919,000 acre Monongahela National Forest 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.

TAXES, DEED, LEGAL INFORMATION

Monroe County
Springfield District
Map 21
Parcels 4, 6 & 7

Deed Book 161 (60 acre tract)
Page 545

Deed Book 193 (82 acre and 1.8 acre tracts)
Page 579

Taxes 2013: $101.70

SURVEY & RIGHT OF WAYS

The property has been surveyed in times past and the deeds recorded in the courthouse have metes and bound calls. There is not a current survey plat on file. The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre. Buyers are welcome to conduct a survey at their expense prior to closing.

Historical access to the property has been provided by two short private dirt/gravel roads that originate on the Baker Mountain Road, one road on the southern end of the property leading to the cabin and the other road on the northern end. These access roads have been in use for many years and there are no known objections from the landowners the roads are crossing.

ZONING

Monroe County has no formal zoning in this area of the county.