Browsing Around

By Bob Heafner © 1983-2012

Issue: April, 1983

“BROWSING AROUND” will become a regular feature of “The Mountain Laurel.” In this section we will feature various pieces of real estate that are for sale each month in Carroll, Floyd and Patrick Counties and give some of the details and reasons why we find them particularly attractive. We do this out of editorial courtesy and neither the Mountain Laurel or its staff have any interest in these properties and would decline any interest or compensation if offered. If you have or know of property for sale, whether you are individual or real estate company, that you think is unique or interesting, please let us know.

Sproule Property

The Sproule property is located on State Road 758 in Floyd County not far from the Buffalo Mountain Presbyterian Church. This entire area is rich in history and this particular piece of property is no exception, since it was among the first in the area to be settled.

As you approach the property on 758, you can see the house and barn nestled in the hollow. It is one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen. From a distance, the barn looks more like an old New England school house than a barn. It is painted red and trimmed in white and the roof is the perfect place for the old fashioned cupola which adorns it.

On the side next to the house, Mr. Sproule painted his name in beautiful colonial lettering along with the date (1976) when he built the barn. It’s not really fair to call this structure a barn since it has concrete floors in the full walk-out basement and is partitioned into rooms. The main floor has a ceiling that must be 18 feet high and one can only imagine the decorating possibilities if this were completed as a home (as Mr. Sproule had intended to do before his untimely death a few years ago).

The day I was on the property, I parked at the beginning of the drive and walked down to the house and barn. The drive is lined with mountain laurel and rhododendron, some of which are 10 to 12 feet tall. They would be spectacular in late spring and early summer when in bloom. The quarter mile long driveway emerges into the clearing in front of the house.

The house is a small old fashioned white structure, which has been extensively renovated. I have been told by area residents that this house was log and is nearly 100 years old. It has one bedroom, one bath, a living room and a kitchen. There is a small pond to the left of the house and a spring house behind it to the right. The barn sits down in the hollow about 100 yards away from the house and between them is a small white storage building.

The stream that feeds the small pond is no more than a few feet wide but it rushes and gurgles over rocks as it passes through the yard and winds its way down by the lower side of the barn.

This property is known locally as the “Old Jimmy McPeak place” and it contains 48 acres more or less. If the modern world is a little more hurried than you’d like, you could escape to yesterday here. There are deer, grouse, wild turkey and trout in abundance along with a feeling of yesteryear that is only found in the Blue Ridge. The annual taxes are only $175.20 and the asking price is only $69,950.00. The owner will consider financing and if you’re interested, the person to call is Mrs. Bobbie Copeland, broker, with Blue Ridge Realty in Hillsville, Va. Her office telephone number is (703) 728-9621 and her home number is (703) 728-9622.

Conner Property

Our next find this month contains 80 acres, more or less located in the Mountain View section of Patrick County, near Meadows of Dan. It is a beautiful rolling tract that was once farmed by Mr. Will Handy. Mr. Handy raised four children here and one of his sons, 94 year old U.B. Handy, still lives nearby. There are old apple and sugar pear trees scattered over the several acres of cleared land surrounding the old dilapidated homeplace.

Around 1958, Mr. Jack Archer, a former owner, planted over 40,000 white pine trees which are now getting to be quite a wintergreen forest. There is road frontage on State Road 764 and the driveway leading down to the old homeplace is lined with white pine trees. The property is situated in a valley and ridges rise on all sides. This is the perfect place for those who don’t wish to be disturbed.

It is situated on one of the tributaries of the headwaters of the Dan River which is a good sized stream and fishing for native trout should be excellent.

This area is well known for its abundant wildlife which includes grouse, deer, small game and one of the largest wild turkey populations in the county.

There is an old road which runs almost completely through the property (it’s private of course) and provides 4-wheel drive access to the back side.

Near the old homeplace is an excellent spring which would be more than an adequate water supply for a house or cabin. The annual property taxes are only $117.80 and the total asking price is only $61,000. The owner will consider financing with a reasonable down payment. For investment or hideaway, this property has great possibilities. If you’re interested, contact Moir Gallimore or Warren Radford at Landsales Inc. in Floyd, Va. The office number is (703) 745-2005 and Moir’s home number is (703) 745-2493. Warren’s home number is (703) 731-0157.

Pelky Property

This last piece of property is only 20 acres, more or less, but it offers one of the most outstanding views you can imagine. It is located adjacent to the Blue Ridge Parkway near Tuggle’s Gap between milepost 165 and milepost 166. The back line borders the Blue Ridge Parkway property for approximately 2000 feet and it has almost 1100 feet of road frontage on State Road 716 in Floyd County, only 8 miles from the town of Floyd. A driveway has been graded to a beautiful cabin site where the Blue Ridge Parkway would be behind the house and a breathtaking view would be in front.

The elevation at the cabin site is approximately 2800 feet and if spending summer afternoons enjoying cool mountain breezes, while watching red tail hawks gliding on currents of clean mountain air sounds like fun to you, this would be the perfect place for your cabin.

However if you are one of the many people who prefers a shady glade nestled in a hollow beside a small clear brook, where birds sing and wildlife comes to water, then just follow the little road leading from the view site down through the woods a few hundred yards. There you will find a beautiful glade and a small pond. A spring which originates beside the Blue Ridge Parkway is the beginning of the small stream which feeds this pond. There is an abundance of wildlife here and judging by all the tracks I saw, it would be the perfect spot to witness nature’s critters at play.

This property has been surveyed and subdivided into three parcels ranging in size from 5 to 9 acres each but the owner will not sell them individually. This would offer an ideal opportunity to buy and select your favorite then resell the other two tracts. If you’re like me, however, I’d never make up my mind which I liked best.

The taxes are only $48.60 and the total asking price is only $27,800. Terms are available through local lending institutions. If you’re interested call Mark Stiles of Weatherbee Realty and Insurance Co. in Woolwine, Va. His telephone number is (703) 930-2155 at his office or (703) 745-3509 at home.