Ravenswyck description
This property lies just past Petticoat Gap, at the tail end of Little North Mountain. It is a partially-hilly, mostly-wooded lot along a creek named Poplar Run.
the house
The main house is a log structure built in 1827 (or possibly earlier), with living room on the first floor, main bedroom and library mezzanine on the second floor. A small addition on the southwest side is an enclosed porch, with office on the ground floor and second bedroom above. Another small structure on the north side of the house was constructed in 1956, and is now used as dining room. In the 1970's, it was farther extended for a kitchen, which is partially lined with stone walls constructed by Ozz Miller and friends. 1350 sq. ft.
the guest house
The front part of the cottage was originally a two-level meat house, later converted into a wood-working shop, then art studio, and finally added onto and converted into a one-bedroom dwelling upstairs / storage and laundry downstairs. The addition was constructed with small pine trees from the property, complete with bark, which remain in the open living / kitchen area. The private back porch opens out onto a shaded garden and wooded hollow. 580 sq. ft. plus 515 sq. ft. unfinished basement / laundry.
upper outbuildings
Up the lane from the houses is a small rustic structure on a steep hillside, housing a double-seater outhouse, storage areas above, and the present wood-working shop and additional storage below.
lower outbuildings
Across from the shop is another eclectic older structure which was used as welding studio, later extended with the addition of an an art studio, and completed with a potting shed on the end.
storage
An additional storage area located at the back of the property is a box unit which originally served as a race-car transporter. An artistic deck construction connects it to the hillside behind, spanning a trickling stream.
artwork
Select artwork on the property for sale by separate agreement.
visitors' comments
"We loved the property, such a unique setting with so many special and surprising features, different spaces and artistic possibilities. We felt that the pictures on the website do not do the property justice. This is most definitely a place to visit before making any assumptions on the photos! We hope you find somebody who loves to property and will use it for all its wonder and potential. It is beyond beautiful, it's one of a kind! "
"Natural simplicity, aesthetic bliss."
"A glade around each bend, a place surely occupied by faeries in the interstices, a house that grew naturally out of itself into a home that is open to the beauty of the gardens but cozy within, and made practical with secret, spacious storage areas."
"a space where all the seasons visit - Blue Ridge Virginia's winter, spring, summer, and autumn"
"I felt I'd stepped through the looking glass. It was enchanting. No thanks is enough for lifting one out of the ordinary."