Basye, VA
MLS #SH7138620
The old Bird Haven estate is on the market at $2,900,000. It consists of 487 acres and includes the house pictured here, which is still in use as offices.Since my husband works for Creekside Realty which is marketing the property, we toured the old house recently. I was pleasantly surprised to see a display of artifacts dating from Bird Haven's history as an artisan center which had it's heyday in the 1930's.
We have seen another exhibit relating to Bird Haven's Shenandoah Community Workers at the Timberville Museum, which included a few fine craft items and a picture (below right) which matches an old building still standing on the property (below left). That building is now in disrepair but was once a place where local craftsmen fashioned "furniture, toys, fireplace equipment, hooked rugs, and quilts, from patterns evolved by their ancestors" according to a WPA guide. See my earlier post on Bird Haven.
According to Touring the Shenandoah Valley Backroads
, this was near the site of the Alum Springs Hotel, a resort in the 19th century. Author Andi Sutcliffe writes that it became very popular in the 1870's "as much for its elegant restaurant as for the healing powers of its springs."
The acreage is listed as waterfront, which must refer to Lake Birdhaven, shown on Google Maps as Lake Carroll. (I've also seen it mapped as Beetle Run Lake, but I think the name Birdhaven sounds prettier.)
We have seen another exhibit relating to Bird Haven's Shenandoah Community Workers at the Timberville Museum, which included a few fine craft items and a picture (below right) which matches an old building still standing on the property (below left). That building is now in disrepair but was once a place where local craftsmen fashioned "furniture, toys, fireplace equipment, hooked rugs, and quilts, from patterns evolved by their ancestors" according to a WPA guide. See my earlier post on Bird Haven. |  |
, this was near the site of the Alum Springs Hotel, a resort in the 19th century. Author Andi Sutcliffe writes that it became very popular in the 1870's "as much for its elegant restaurant as for the healing powers of its springs."
The acreage is listed as waterfront, which must refer to Lake Birdhaven, shown on Google Maps as Lake Carroll. (I've also seen it mapped as Beetle Run Lake, but I think the name Birdhaven sounds prettier.)
i would have posted my comment on this page had i known...see old Bird Haven oost...can't believe the Big House s for sale...remember the place well, when it wasn't green!! is the rest of the factory still standing?? Post on here..how long has the house been on the market?
ReplyDeleteI think it's been on the market since August 2009. I don't know about the rest of the factory. If we find out, I'll post an update.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interesting comments.
was checking site to see if you saw my comments...i see you did..few other questions...is the little green house down by the barn (the barn with the garage in it) still standing? Did you ever find out if the rest of the factory still standing? also...ask around at whoever is in those offices (Alexander? Creekside Realty?) if the name Col. Claud C Ham is familiar to any of them...just curious....I can remember that property when these was no lake...there was an old 4 room abandoned house (with derelict autos stretching back to the 30's) that i used to hear referred to as the Barb house...sorry so many questions...but seeing Bird Haven for sale brings back many memories...can you post more pics if you get up there again...like of the factory or the Display House or inside the Big House? Iwould love to see more pics concerning this subject...Thanks
ReplyDeleteGood luck, brother - after five years seems the only folks that care are those that lived it. Now's its just a memory. Although, I still want a Destroilet like in the green house. Heh
ReplyDelete