Imagine a getaway in the Blue Ridge Mountains that combines a quiet setting and historic charm with easy access to all that the area has to offer. The Cabins on Ashby make this dream a reality. The 14-acre property is located only three miles from the charming Village of Sperryville and less than ten from Washington, Virginia. It is just a mile and half from the Hazel River Trailhead, 11 miles from the entrance to Skyline Drive and 10.6 miles from the Old Rag Mountain Trailhead in Shenandoah National Park.
The Cabins on Ashby consist of a Main House with three bedrooms and three full baths, an oversized detached two-bay garage with a storage room above, the Guest Cabin with one bedroom and two and a half baths, the Tasting Room cabin with a half bath, the Studio with a deck that overlooks the creek, and a beautifully crafted covered bridge.
During their heyday The Cabins saw famous musicians come to jam on the porches, either for on-site festivals or just for fun. For a while the Smokehouse was Virginia’s only meadery, serving excellent honey wine made with honey produced on site. The property’s history goes back even further, with the actual age of some of the log buildings lost to time. Discoveries await around bends in the creek; there are two old spring boxes hidden among tree roots and a fire ring on a flat shoulder.
Beaverdam Creek bounces over boulders and meanders its way melodiously between The Cabins. Spanning this sprightly stream is a remarkable covered footbridge that is an architectural work of art in its own right. Echoing the Main House and the Guest Cabin, the Covered Bridge sports a standing-seam metal roof. In mid-span there is a table and built-in benches, creating a perfect perch to relax and watch the sunlight dancing on the water. Adding to the intrigue, a plexiglass panel allows one to spy on fish from above.
The Main House is part authentic Blue Ridge log cabin and part newer “Cape Cod” style with cedar siding and a standing-seem metal roof. The seemingly disparate halves are cleverly knitted together by a bright, airy entrance foyer just off the old-style front porch. The newer part of the home has an open floor plan with living area, dining area, and a large open kitchen all flowing together. There is a chimney in the center with a wood stove on the kitchen side and a fireplace on the living room side. The living room has extensive built in shelves, perfect for a library or a collector’s display. This part of the home also has a main-floor bedroom and a full bath. The log cabin side has a cozy den with a flue for a wood stove, the perfect spot on a chilly winter evening.
Just outside the kitchen door is a large covered porch that is ideal for outdoor entertaining. The porch leads out to a fenced back yard and an in-ground gunite pool with a pleasing organic shape. Swim with the mountain laurel-covered hillside as your Blue Ridge Mountains backdrop.
The upper floor boasts an owner’s suite that encompasses the entire newer side of the home. This private space includes ample closets, a full bath with a separate “water closet,” and an oversized bedroom with a fireplace and plenty of space for a seating area. The log cabin side has an additional bedroom featuring a hand-carved headboard made by local artist Peter Kramer, and a full bath with an antique claw-foot tub.
Just like the Main House, the cozy Guest Cabin is partially log and partially frame with a standing-seem metal roof and a rustic porch. It has a separate driveway and mailbox and is currently being used as a rental. The main floor has a kitchen/dining area, a living area with an unusual unicorn-embellished wood stove on a fieldstone hearth, and a convenient half bath. Upstairs there is another seating area with multiple uses and a bedroom with a full bath. Sunlight streams in the large windows and the sound of Beaverdam Creek serenades you from below.
The third log building that makes up The Cabins is the former Smokehouse Meadery Tasting Room. Unlike the other buildings, the unusual Tasting Room sports a stunning thatched roof with decorated and shingled eaves. Once it was no longer being used for tastings, a remodel was planned but never completed. With existing plumbing, electricity and full bathroom, The Tasting Room is ready for reinvention.
The Studio is the most recently built structure and could be used in multiple ways. Perhaps an artist’s work space or just an unusual storage building, it has a standing-seam roof and a beautiful, curved deck overlooking the creek.
Steeped in charm and possibilities, The Cabins on Ashby are ready for you to write a new chapter in a long and interesting story.
