Welcome to The Smith Log Home, Forest, Retreat & Farm, Monroe County, WV!

Located in the quiet Allegheny Mountains of Monroe County, West Virginia, lies a jewel of 114 acres of private country property. The Smith Log Home, Forest, Retreat & Farm is only five minutes outside of the quaint, peaceful town of Alderson and 20 minutes from the shops, restaurants, and amenities of Lewisburg/Fairlea. Make this homestead your full-time residence or ultimate weekend retreat – either way, bring the family and pets to enjoy. This property has a direct, state-maintained paved road access then gated, exclusive access via gravel drive to the Retreat & Farm and log home. The custom-built Appalachian Log Home was constructed on a rolling knoll for the Smiths in 2005 and includes approximately 1054 square feet of living space. The spacious, covered front porch is a special place to gather, enjoy visiting deer and hummingbirds, and savor a grand display of landscape and wildlife. The two-bedroom, one-bath log home has a light, bright interior with hard rock maple floors, exposed vaulted pine beams, and an easy-step oak staircase to the spacious loft bedroom. Like a privately owned state park/forest, this property includes a mature forest of poplar, oak, wild cherry, maple, and beech trees that have not had a timber harvest for an estimated 50-plus years. Miles of trails throughout the property, an abundant water supply with a stocked, spring-fed pond, and a spring-fed livestock trough provide water year-round. The property includes a workshop outbuilding and a secure Conex shed with a tractor lean-to. The property is a mecca for wildlife with whitetail deer, black bear, wild turkey, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons, and all types of migratory and native birds, including rarely seen Scarlet Tanagers. The property includes approximately five acres of open farmland that could be used for horses, cattle, goats, and a wide array of country farming.

ROOM SIZES – LOG HOME

Living room 12.10 x 23.6
Kitchen, eat-in 13.3 x 11.6
Laundry 15.6 x 7.6
Bath 4.7 x 11.6
Bedroom 13.10 x 11.8
Loft bedroom 17.10 x 20.9
Covered front porch 27.8 x 7.9
Ramp ADA 33.5 X 4.7

WORKSHOP OUTBUILDING
20 x 12 (Offset 4 x 6)

CONEX BOX
8 x 20 with lean-to 19 x 15

DOG KENNEL
10 x 10

HIGHLIGHTS

• Wild and Wonderful Monroe County, WV
• 114 Acres +/-
• Private without being remote
• Miles of interior hiking/ATV trails
• 5 minutes to town
• Outstanding Appalachian Log House package
• Approximately 1054 square feet
• Master bedroom plus a spacious loft balcony
• Full Bath
• Central heat and air conditioning with a Trane XL15i heat pump (2010 manufacture)
• Zoned electric baseboard heat
• Wonderful covered front porch
• Large eat-in kitchen
• Cozy living room with a wood stove
• Wildlife paradise
• Stocked spring-fed pond
• Spring-fed concrete watering trough
• Private gravel road
• Gated entrance
• Workshop outbuilding
• Dog kennel
• Conex storage unit with tractor lean-to
• Approximately five acres of cleared grazing land
• No Conservation easement
• Mature timber, yours to cherish or to use as a cash-ready account

• Raspberry and blackberry patches
• Excellent garden locations
• Rich soil
• Gravel drive to the residence
• Drilled well with quality water
• Low taxes
• The nearest traffic light, the next county, or the Commonwealth
• All minerals available in the owner’s chain of title will convey
• Incredible hunting
• A recreational family property for generations to come
• The Edge Effect, fields, and woodland are the ideal wildlife habitat
• Incredible farm, home, woods, and privacy
• The beautiful Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia
• Excellent recreational area for kids and adults
• Great cell reception
• Septic system
• Located in a low-traffic farming community
• Big buck territory!
• Wild turkeys galore
• Easy drive to Lewisburg Jet Airport
• Amtrak train station at Alderson
• Pence Springs Flea Market is a 15-minute drive
• Superior access by state-maintained paved roads (Dark Hollow Road is a dead-end road)
• FedEx, UPS, and USPS delivery
• Fur-bearing – deer, black bear, squirrel, rabbit, bobcat, raccoon, fox, chipmunk, opossum
• Winged wildlife – eagles, hawks, owls, ravens, turkeys, and Neotropical songbirds

LOCATION

Google Coordinates: 37.710414°(N), -80.643392°(W)
Address: 696 Dark Hollow Road, Alderson, WV 24910
Elevation Range: 1698 ft. to 1937 ft. +/-

Driving Times

Towns:

• Alderson: 5 minutes
• Athens and Concord University: 55 minutes
• Beckley: 50 minutes
• Blacksburg, VA, and Virginia Tech: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Hinton: 35 minutes
• Lewisburg and Osteopathic School of Medicine: 20 minutes
• Peterstown: 1 hour
• Princeton: 1 hour
• Union: 30 minutes

Airports:

• Greenbrier Valley Airport, Lewisburg: 30 minutes
• Raleigh County Memorial Airport, Beckley: 50 minutes

Medical:

Greenbrier Valley Medical Center, Fairlea: 20 minutes

Recreation:

• Bluestone Lake, Hinton: 35 minutes
• Bluestone State Park: 40 minutes
• Camp Creek State Park & Forest: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Fountain Springs Golf Course: 1 hour
• Mill Creek Nature Park Trails, Narrows, VA: 1 hour
• Pipestem Resort State Park, Pipestem: 50 minutes
• State Fair of West Virginia, Fairlea: 20 minutes
• Willow Wood Country Club Golf Course: 25 minutes
• Winterplace Ski Resort, Ghent: 1 hour

FOREST/TIMBER RESOURCES

The majority of the property is primarily in mature poplar and hardwood forests, and the timber has yet to be evaluated.

AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES

Local farmers have used the farm in the past; however, in recent years, productive farming has yet to be done, except for some mowed fields. Farming operations could be extended to include beef cattle and grazing, chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, and a wide variety of more exotic animals.

WILDLIFE

Years of progressive wildlife management practices have created the ideal wildlife preserve.

The hardwood forest provides an essential nutrient source and produces hard mast, including acorns, hickory nuts, beech nuts, and black walnuts. Soft mast includes stag horn sumac, black cherry, tulip poplar seeds, maple seeds, autumn olive berries, and blackberries.

WATER

A 420-foot drilled well serves the log house. About halfway up the gravel road, a spring-fed stocked pond is located. Just below the pond, there is a spring-fed concrete livestock trough. A dashed blue line stream flows through the northeastern side of the property for about 2/10 miles, which should have water flow during periods of rainfall and snow melt.

RECREATION

• The farm offers matchless recreational opportunities.
• Nature viewing is first in a line of recreational activities.
• Hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, ATV riding, trail bikes
• Stargazing

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. All rights the owner has will convey with the property. A mineral title search could be conducted by a title attorney at the same time when the surface title search is being conducted.

BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY

The northeastern property boundary runs with a road. The owners’ deed describes the property in metes and bounds. The property is being sold by the boundary, not by the acre.

UTILITIES

• Water: Drilled well, 420 feet
• Sewer: Septic system
• Electricity: MonPower
• Telephone: Cellular is in use
• Internet: Multiple choices
  Cellphone Coverage: Excellent

ACCESS/FRONTAGE

The property road connects directly to Dark Hollow Road Rt. 3/1.

ZONING

There is currently no county zoning in Monroe County. All prospective purchasers are encouraged to contact the Monroe County Health Department for answers regarding the installation of septic systems and water wells.

PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY

The home grounds area is about one acre, and four fields total about five acres. The balance of the property is about 108 acres of forestland.

(This summary estimates current property use as determined from aerial photography. It is made subject to the estimation of property boundaries and any errors in the interpretation of land use type from the aerial photography utilized.)

DEED AND TAX INFORMATION

Deed Information: DB 236 Pg. 642
Monroe County, West Virginia
Acreage: 114 acres +/-

Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes:
Monroe County (32), West Virginia
Wolf Creek   (9)
Tax Map 3 Parcel 47; Class 2

2023 Real Estate Taxes: $558.52

PUBLIC SCHOOL

Due to the property’s close location to Alderson, Greenbrier County Schools may be available.

Monroe County School District

Public Elementary School:
Mountain View Elementary School

Public Middle School:
Mountain View Middle School

Public High School:
James Monroe High School

Higher Education:
Monroe County Vocational Center

SURROUNDING AREA

THE AREA

The Town of Alderson, affectionately known as the “Gem of the Hills,” is tucked away in the lush Greenbrier Valley of southeastern West Virginia. It is situated along the beautiful Greenbrier River and includes Greenbrier, Monroe, and Summers Counties.

In 1763, the nearby Muddy Creek settlements were destroyed by Shawnee Indians under Chief Cornstalk. It was not until 1777 that the town was settled by “Elder” John Alderson, a frontier missionary for whom the town was named. Here, he founded the first Baptist church in the Greenbrier Valley. In the early 1900s, a John Alderson descendant started a Baptist seminary that was later moved north to become Alderson-Broaddus College at Philippi, WV.

The Federal Reformatory for Women, the first federal prison for women, was established in 1927.

POINTS FOR THE TOWN OF ALDERSON

• Known as “The Gem of the Hills”
• Located in three counties, Greenbrier, Monroe, and Summers
• Voted “Best Fourth of July Celebration” by West Virginia Living Magazine in 2012. Alderson is the place to be to celebrate America’s Independence Day!
• 2020 population of approximately 1200
• Numerous civic clubs and groups
• Active Main Street association
• Active Veterans of Foreign Wars
• Home of the annual Strawberry Festival
• Located on the beautiful Greenbrier River
• Well-known for fishing, boating, swimming, canoeing, and kayaking
• Home of Camp Greenbrier
• French the lion is the town mascot
• AMTRAK stop at the historic C & O Depot
• Excellent town park
• The Alderson Mini Park on the river
• The historic Alderson Memorial Pedestrian Bridge
• Home of Old Greenbrier Baptist Church, which was founded in the 1700s by elder John Alderson, a frontier preacher
• A scenic walking trail is established in the town
• Weekly farmers market
• Two full-time volunteer fire departments
• A full-time town police force
• Full-time hometown ambulance service
• Home of “Camp Cupcake” Federal ladies’ camp

NEARBY WATER RESOURCES

THE GREENBRIER RIVER

The lower Greenbrier River possesses the excitement of life on one of the nation’s great wild rivers. The focus of a vast outdoor recreation destination flows untamed out of the high Alleghenies, attracting anglers, paddlers, and naturalists from across the globe.

THE NEW RIVER AND BLUESTONE LAKE

It is an approximate 25-minute drive to the New River and the 2000-acre Bluestone Lake at Hinton. The New River is the second oldest river in the world, preceded only by the Nile; it is the oldest river in North America. The New River is unique because it begins in Blowing Rock, N.C., and flows north through Virginia into West Virginia. The Nile and Amazon are the only other major rivers flowing north. It produces more citation fish yearly than any other warm water river in WV. Smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, sunfish, hybrid striped bass, and muskie are all common species of fish found in the New River and Bluestone Lake.

MEDICAL

Alderson has two medical clinics. The closest hospital is Greenbrier Valley Medical Center in Fairlea/Lewisburg, a 20-minute drive. To the south, in Hinton Summers County, ARH Hospital is about a 25-minute drive.

The area is also blessed to have the amazing service of Health Net helicopters. A helipad is located at the River of Life Church on Route 63

VETERANS HOSPITALS/CLINICS

A Veterans Hospital is less than one hour away in Beckley, WV, and the new VA Clinic in Ronceverte/Lewisburg is just a short drive away.