Homestead Preserve is all about appreciating the history and stunning natural beauty of the region. Bath County, VA, is especially known for its water, including streams accented by waterfalls, exciting for novice and seasoned fisherman alike.
	Characteristics of Highlands Arts & Crafts houses include strong horizontal lines, deep broad porches, post and beam construction, and a mixture of materials such as stone, shingles and siding.
	Homestead Preserve Hot Springs, VA 866.386.5881 www.homesteadpreserve.com

Most of the lavish communities breaking ground across the country tout – in addition to world-class dining, recreation and amenities – a strong commitment to the environment. Homestead Preserve, set in the breathtaking Virginia Highlands, is no exception. However, while some developers talk a good game, this new community is truly committed to land stewardship, placing preservation of the “ecological lineage” of this history-steeped region as high on its list of priorities as the luxurious amenities offered to its property owners.

Nestled on 11,500 acres between Hot Springs and Warm Springs in the pristine mountains of Bath County, VA, Homestead Preserve, when completed, will provide homes and second homes for 450 families on about 2,300 acres. And what of the rest of the vast acreage? All 9,250 acres have been sold to The Nature Conservancy, which has christened it the Warm Springs Mountain Preserve, one of the largest privately owned and protected natural areas in Virginia. When the project reaches completion, developers estimate no more than three percent of the original acreage will be disturbed by construction.

The idea for the project came about “in the mid-to-late 90s, when we were in the Carolinas,” says Charles Adams, a seasoned developer and managing director of the community. “We were watching what was happening, because pastoral land was getting swallowed up by very conventional suburban sprawl. We wanted to do something different. So the concept came first, and then we looked for the land.”

The land that is now Homestead Preserve was originally a natural buffer zone around the historic Homestead resort, one of the grand dames of American resorts. Since 1766, members of the country’s most prominent families – Thomas Edison, J.P. Morgan, and 23 U.S. presidents including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson – have flocked to this relaxing mecca to “take the waters” of the restorative natural mineral springs bubbling up around the area. Over the years, The Homestead has grown into a top-tier year-round resort that has protected these lush woodlands from development for more than 225 years.

“The views are magnificent, the valleys so beautiful, the scenery so peaceful,” General Robert E. Lee said of the property in 1861.

A century and half later, Adams agrees. “It has a wonderful authenticity about it,” he says.

Becky and Charlie Wilson, formerly of cosmopolitan Denver, CO, are among the first of a new generation of “founders” of Homestead Preserve. Two years ago, they were traveling in the region and decided to buy the former estate of the Ingalls family, who operated The Homestead for 100 years, as well as a parcel they plan to develop in Homestead Preserve. When friends ask Becky Wilson why she’d leave her 50-year home in Denver behind for a county that prides itself in having no stoplights, she’s ready with an answer.

“I’ve learned to say, ‘Have you ever been to Bath County?’ That says it all,” she says with a laugh. “It’s just a great place to live. A drive in any direction from Hot Springs is a beautiful drive. And there are not many places you can live with a small-town feel where you can also go to a classical concert or buy a loaf of fresh French bread.”
Life at Homestead Preserve is all about relaxing and appreciating the history and stunning natural beauty of the region, while maintaining the upscale lifestyle not usually found in rural regions. And it all begins with the homes themselves. About 140 sites have been sold and fewer than ten houses have been erected on the site since the groundbreaking in 2005. Currently, Homestead Preserve offers four distinct neighborhoods: The Old Dairy, Sheep Meadow, Delafield Rise and Warm Springs Farm.
Residents can choose from a wide variety of home settings, from rolling meadows to sites with 360-degree mountain vistas. Homesites, which start at approximately $300,000, range from a half-acre to 13 acres, catering to each family’s specific needs. The plan calls for building envelopes of up to 15,000 square feet in each lot to preserve the land’s integrity.

Once home to award-winning cows, the barn at The Old Dairy hosted decades of community dances and will continue to be a hub of activity as it is transformed into a clubhouse for residents. Sheep Meadow, which is adjacent to Hot Springs and all The Homestead resort has to offer, is rural tranquility that’s, surprisingly, about a day’s drive for one third of the country’s population. Residents will be close to everything and yet deliciously far from it all.

The 112 homes of Delafield Rise will wind their way uphill past the old resort to provide stunning down-valley views, while across the road from the historic Jefferson Pools, 36 homes in Warm Springs Farm will fall under the gentle gaze of the sheltering mountains.

The homes themselves will be anything but rustic. While offering a number of styles with names such as Highlands Farmhouse and English Romantic that hark back to the area’s heritage, the interior plans boast the latest in smart home technology, including a community intranet and high-speed Internet service.

And Homestead Preserve offers the high-end amenities that the active, affluent homebuyer expects in a second or retirement home. Each family will have the opportunity to join The Homestead Golf and Tennis Club, which boasts three golf courses consistently rated among the best in the country, along with innovative special programs for children and teens.

Fly-fishing enthusiasts will thrill to the scenic, four-mile-long mountain stream running between Cascade Gorge and The Homestead’s southernmost property. Accented by waterfalls and wildflowers, the stream is exciting for novice and seasoned fisherman alike. The Homestead Shooting Club is considered one of the most challenging in the U.S., boasting four skeet fields, wobble trap, five-stand and a world-class sporting clays course, where homeowners can take advantage of private shooting events based around the new clubhouse and pavilion.

Falconry, the “sport of kings,” is available for those interested in learning about this exhilarating centuries-old practice of hunting with trained birds of prey, including the falcons, hawks and owls, at The Homestead Mews. The resort also offers more than 20 outdoor sporting activities all year long, six tennis courts, skiing, wooded hiking and riding trails and historic mineral baths.

For those who’d like to learn more about the history and culture of the region, there’s The Homestead Preserve Story Center, which offers space for original artwork, life-size wildlife carvings and exhibits, collections of local memorabilia, a theater and screenings of the documentary Springs Eternal, which highlights Bath County history and lore and the legacy of The Homestead resort.

In addition to the 90 miles of trails within the nature preserve and The Homestead property, residents can enjoy boating, angling and swimming at nearby Lake Moomaw and hikes through George Washington National Forest, which borders the property and is a Virginia jewel of nearly one million acres of unspoiled mountain landscape stretching over 13 counties. And music enthusiasts will thrill to summer evening concerts at Garth Newel Music Center, an authentic 1924 estate, where young musicians hone their skills and share them with grateful audiences.

Charlie Wilson says he and his wife, both avid skiers, enjoy trekking to West Virgina’s Snowshoe, which is only an hour away, and kayaking in Lake Moomaw. He also appreciates the added thought that’s gone into every detail at Homestead Preserve.
“Even the creek crossings – most people would do them in concrete,” he says. “Here they made them out of real stone.”

Virginia Hot Springs, Inc., in existence since 1892 and first owned by J.P. Morgan, was acquired by Celebration Associates, an award-winning development firm headed by Adams and his partners, Don Killoren and Dane Vincent, to revitalize the region and realize the vision of Homestead Preserve. In the coming years, this imaginative team believes its community will spur like-minded, responsible revitalization in Hot Springs itself. Future plans include collaborative efforts to bring unique shops, live-work artist’s studios and lofts, galleries, restaurants and a farmer’s market to the village, as well as restoration plans for existing buildings and re-creation of centuries-old buildings that have been demolished over the years.

They also see the rebirth of “a living heirloom,” the dairy farm, where planners expect to be nurturing the direct descendants of the Shetland sheep, ponies and rare ducks and chickens that belonged to the original settlers of the land. The small, working demonstration farm, which is expected to help residents and guests learn more about the land’s legacy, will include heirloom vegetables and fruits, such as the figs, runner beans and balsam apples now much more likely to be found on a gourmet menu than in the backyard garden.

The passionate interest in preserving tradition struck a chord with the Wilsons. With the youngest of their four children finishing her studies at nearby Bridgewater College, they say they plan to live at the Ingalls home, which they are restoring, and then possibly create a new retirement home on their Homestead Preserve site.

“We felt strongly about [the developers’] commitment to the environment, to planning well without causing huge problems for others,” says Charlie Wilson, who is looking forward to the lively Main Street, community center, tennis and pools. “And the architectural integrity? For us that’s very important. The buildings look like they’ve always been here.”

Reviving such traditions is part of the legacy Charles Adams hopes to leave to generations of Homestead Preserve residents.

“There’s the rich history of the hotel, the springs, the physical beauty of the place. There’s so much that makes it attractive,” he says. “We want to make sure that when we ultimately lay in the pieces – the homes, the redevelopment of the village – they all feel comfortable in this setting, like they’re at home.”