Home sighted and crafted to capture and filter the natural light. The home offers some seventy Anderson windows and doors, plus custom units

2600 sq. ft.+/- living space

Open design includes kitchen, living room and dining room

Three bedrooms, two baths, utility room, laundry, tower room, music nook, office (would make a nice fourth bedroom)

The foyer was designed to keep outside air from entering the home.

Two patios and a large 10'x 20' private balcony

Constructed with energy efficient aerated, autoclave concrete block - ACC

Hardwood and ceramic tile flooring

Tower room serves as a great playroom for older children. For adults it inspires reading, painting, reflection, etc.

Stone and wood gazebo overlooking "Little Lake"

34 - 270 Watts solar panels are grid inter-tied.

5000 Watt LP-generator supports many vital functions in the event of a power outage.

Wiring was updated in 2024

Starlink satellite for fast and reliable internet connections with WIFI calling

Very productive drilled water well - has never failed

Forty-gallon white oak rain barrel

Two wood-fired heating stoves. One stove originated in Germany and is about 150 years old (Kachelofen). The second stove was made by a master craftsman from Bern Switzerland..

Mitsubishi mini-split system on the main house to heat in moderate temperatures and, if necessary, helps with cooling

A large woodshed is close to the house, connected by a covered breezeway

GE LP-gas range

Electric hot water heater

Samsung dryer - Maytag washer

Whirlpool refrigerator

Septic tank recently serviced and passed inspection

Galvalume Standing Seam Metal roof installed in 2015

ROOM DIMENSIONS

MAIN LEVEL

Foyer 18' x 7

Front Hallway 18' x 6'

Half Bath 5' x 4'

Closet 6' x 6'

Soapstone Stove space 3' x 4'

Bath Hallway 8' x 3'

Storage space 6' x 3'

Laundry Room 7' x 10'

Bedroom/Office 11' x 11' + sleeping alcove 4' x 7'

Dining Room 10' x 13'

Living Room 15' x 13'

Music Alcove 10' x 7' hexagonal

German Stove Area 6' x 5'

Kitchen 12' x 11'

Hallway 8' x 5'

Storage/pantry 6' x 7'

Stairs 8' x 3'

Full Bath 7' x 6'

Stairs 3' x 5'

SECOND LEVEL

Bedroom #1 8' x 10'

Bedroom #2 10' x 11' floor

Bedroom #3 15' x 21' floor

Bedroom #4 15' x 16'

Private Balcony 14' x 18'

Breezeway 16' x 6'

Woodshed 13' x 14'

Garden Shed 6' x 8'

Green House 10'x 20'

THIRD LEVEL

Tower Room 8' x 8' Octagonal

*All measurements are approximate.

HOME CONSTRUCTION

Natural light and the location of the home, are paramount for comfortable living.

An eco-friendly and very efficient building block, Aeriated Autoclaved Concrete (ACC), was used in the buildout of the Heritage home. AAC has been produced and used for more than 90 years in Europe. The block has several advantages over other cement construction materials, one of the most important being its lower environmental impact. Other advantages include:

Improved thermal efficiency reduces the heating and cooling load in buildings.

Porous structure gives superior fire resistance.

Workability allows accurate cutting, which minimizes the generation of solid waste during use.

Eco-friendly in nature not producing pollution in the environment and contributes to LEED rating green building material.

Resource efficiency gives it lower environmental impact in all phases from the processing of raw materials to the ultimate disposal of waste.

Being lighter in weight the blocks can be handled easily. The lighter weight saves cost and energy in transportation, labor expenses, and increases chances of survival during seismic activity.

Larger size blocks lead to faster masonry work.

Reduces project cost for large constructions.

Fire-resistant: AAC, like other concretes, is fire-resistant.

Good ventilation: This material is very airy and allows the diffusion of water, reducing humidity inside the building. AAC absorbs moisture and releases humidity, helping to prevent condensation and other problems related to mildew.

Non-toxic: There are no toxic gases or other toxic substances in autoclaved aerated concrete. It does not attract rodents or other pests and cannot be damaged by them.

Accuracy: Panels and blocks made of autoclaved aerated concrete are produced to the exact sizes needed before leaving the factory. There is less need for on-site trimming. Since the blocks and panels fit so well together, there is less use of finishing materials such as mortar.

Long-lasting: The life of this material is longer because it is not affected by harsh climates or extreme weather changes and will not degrade under normal climate changes.

HEATING - TWO WOOD STOVES

The main heat sources for the home are two tile wood-fired stoves, Kachelfen, which are typical to southern Germany, Austria, and Switzlerland. One of the tile stoves is 150 years old and came from an old castle near Frankfurt, Germany, "Schloss Heusenstamm hat Geburtstag". The stove was dismantled at the castle and shipped to West Virginia, and reassembled and installed by a master stove builder who flew in from Bern, Switzerland.

The second stove is made of soapstone tile sourced from Charlottesville, Virginia. This stove was hand-made by another master stove builder from Switzerland.

These "Kachelfen" have long masonry ducts which transfer the heat from the fire to the masonry body of the stove which stores the heat and then slowly emits heat over hours. These wood stoves are very energy efficient. Even in the dead of winter, only a short fire twice a day is needed to heat the house.

A Mitsubishi mini-split system on the main house to heat in the coldest temperatures, and, if necessary, helps with cooling.