Loaded with unique charm, The Artist’s Cottage offers many possibilities. With a main cottage and a guest cottage on approximately 11 acres, this property would be ideal for a weekend getaway, vacation rental, or even a full-time home with some updating. Built in 1920 with stone and stucco, the cottages both feature hardwood floors, large stone fireplaces, wood stoves and many windows to take in the views of Old Rag Mountain and the surrounding countryside.
The main cottage boasts an expansive living room with cathedral ceilings, many windows, four skylights, and a tall field stone fireplace. The picture window looks out towards Old Rag, some closer-in hills, and the farms below. A sleeping loft overlooks this space and also offers access to the unfinished attic through an antique “barn door” style double door. The center of the cottage is made up of the kitchen and breakfast area, a full bath, and a bonus room that could be used for overflow guests, as a sitting area, or perhaps as a reading room. Surrounded on three sides by windows, it offers beautiful views of the mountains and countryside. Beyond the kitchen is the dining room which was also used as an artist work space (there is a handy sink in the corner). The dining room has an artist-designed decorative concrete floor, a large wood stove, and a bank of French doors. There is also a small sleeping loft at one end. At the other end, a charming Dutch door opens to the front garden.
The nearby guest cottage has a screened stone patio, complete with an outdoor stone fireplace and a mountain view. The cozy cottage has one main room with hardwood floors, a wood stove, and lots of windows. The northwest view is of Old Rag Mountain. There is a galley kitchenette, a full bath, and a small reading nook.
The property also has a board-and-batten studio building that could have many uses. It has electricity and a concrete floor, and two work spaces. The interior has not been finished, so it awaits a new owner’s imagination.
The cottages are surrounded by beautiful specimen shrubs, azaleas, Japanese maples, and various perennials. While allowed to overgrow, the shrubs can be reined in to bring them back to their former glory. There is a clearing around the cottages and the remainder of the parcel offers wooded privacy.
The Artist’s Cottage is situated near two quiet country roads (one gravel and one paved) that lend themselves to leisurely walks or bike rides. The Robinson River, a well-loved trout stream, ripples and flows by at the foot of the hill. The Rapidan Wildlife Management Area is just up the road.
Madison and surrounding counties offer endless recreational possibilities. Nearby Shenandoah National Park is home to scenic Skyline Drive with its overlooks as well as many miles of trails. There are wineries and breweries, great restaurants and cafes, antique stores, farms and orchards, and much more.
Near the Town of Madison and convenient to Culpeper, The Artist’s Cottage is ideally situated for full-time residents or weekenders alike. Located about two hours from Washington, DC, and about an hour from Charlottesville, the property is within an easy driving distance for weekend getaways.
