283 Acre Natural Paradise

Description

RINGLANDS 283 ACRES OF NATURAL BEAUTY AND PRIVACY

Restored 1830's home, ultimate privacy, seven outbuildings, large pond, many creeks and mature forests - Ringlands was settled in 1798 by Josiah Ringlands and the main home on the property was built around the 1830s, with barns built over the next century. We have been the owners for 36 years and with great reluctance have decided to move on to a scaled back lifestyle for our retirement. Aside from its size, historical value and natural beauty, perhaps Ringlands greatest asset is the privacy of having the residence essentially in the middle of the property, from which no other home can be seen and almost all views from hilltop to hilltop are part of the property, for assurance of a lifetime of peace and beautiful scenery! This is truly the most private and unique property in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and it breaks our hearts to part with it. Located near the town of Amity in Washington County (Ringlands is shown on the USGS 7.5 minute map), four major cities are within a half hour drive (Washington, Waynesburg, Morgantown and Wheeling) and Pittsburgh and its airport are less than an hour drive.

The 283 acres is composed of about 30 acres of open pasture that has been partially fenced and either grazed or cut for hay, and the remainder is mostly mature hardwoods and pond acreage. The mature forest harbors some of the most pristine habitat of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and has been the subject of study by numerous academics. We have maintained it in a totally natural state, except for the 2.5 acre pond that was built in 1977 and now looks like part of the natural landscape. The pond has been the source of great pleasure swimming, boating and fishing in pristine spring fed water. There are numerous streams and springs on the farm and its northern boundaries include about a half mile of a seasonally stocked trout stream.

The home is built like a fortress, with solid brick walls throughout (even the partitions). It has been painstakingly restored to its former glory, but with modern conveniences (insulation, modern bathrooms and kitchen, central hydronic gas heat, etc.) The water is gravity fed from a spring, so power outages are no problem. The porches and additions are sensitively designed to blend in with the original mid 1800s architecture. A south facing greenhouse off of the breakfast nook warms the house on sunny days. There are three fireplaces with original mantels and the floors are all original chestnut. The basement is finished (plaster walls, concrete floors and natural beams above) and we used the three rooms for a pantry, media room and a wood shop. The house undoubtedly would qualify for historic preservation status, and is a real showplace of 1800s architecture.

There are seven outbuildings for many uses. We used them for raising horses and llamas (stalls are set up in two buildings), various storage of antiques, firewood and lumber and the newest building (40 X 70 ft, built around 1990) was used for livestock initially and later to house an antique car collection. One building is set up as a heated automobile shop with a separate paint booth. A 100 X 100 ft fenced vegetable garden area provided organic food for our growing family and has a backup irrigation system. Landscaping and interesting planting abound in the yard areas.

The pictures you see on this site and at the above referenced web site were mostly taken last year just before we moved. Pictures of bedroom 1 with its own hall and bathroom were omitted, as were pictures of the basement (our tenants privacy was respected). Pictures can only give a general impression of the property you will have to actually visit Ringlands to understand its privacy and beauty. Overall, this unique property could continue to function as the ultimate private country residence, a livestock and hay farm (we had the second largest llama herd in Southwestern Pennsylvania), a corporate getaway, a nature preserve/camp, an antique automobile restoration business, or any number of other possibilities. However, we are only willing to sell Ringlands to someone who will assure us that it will stay in its uniquely natural state. We may consider a sale with a conservation easement to assure the continued preservation of this unique place.