Our house is nestled on the eastern slope of Afton Mountain just below Rockfish Gap in the northern tip of Historic Nelson County on the “Sunrise Side of the Blue Ridge” It’s just 3-minutes away from where the Blue Ridge Parkway meets the Skyline Drive and 4-minutes to the southern gatehouse of the Shenandoah National Park. Hiking, skiing, golf, biking, and sightseeing; the area calls to the outdoor enthusiast.
If history is your thing you're fortunate that we have that too! But if you are the type that prefers a quiet spot with a good book that's possible too; the house has two porches and outside of the occasional train rumbling past it's pretty quiet. There are music and performance venues in the nearby communities of Crozet, Waynesboro, Charlottesville, and Staunton. In recent years Nelson County has enjoyed a renaissance of sorts in the age-old crafts of brewing, distilling, and viticulture; Nelson County's popular Brew Ridge Trail begins just three miles down the road where you can tour numerous breweries, cideries, vineyards, and a distillery or two.
One section of our property was once the site of the freight station for the original Blue Ridge Railway which sits alongside the recently renovated Claudius Crozet Blue Ridge Trail. This Rails-To-Trails addition will include Crozet’s 4300-foot-long tunnel dug 500 feet below Afton Mountain during the 1850s. It was one of the longest tunnels ever built in its day and the first tunnel ever dug simultaneously from both sides. The tunnel/trail opened to visitors in the fall of 2020 to rave reviews.
The house (our first home) is a simple wood-framed 2-story cottage with about 1200 sq feet of living space. We don’t know how old it is but 25 years ago we met a woman who told us she was born in the house in 1911; we don't think it's much older than that. Much of the house has been modernized and renovated. The upstairs bedrooms are small by modern standards and have sloped ceilings and the stairway was built for a time when people were shorter so you folks over 6’2 should watch your noggins. There are two bedrooms upstairs; one with a queen and the second bedroom has two twin beds. There is a modern bathroom with a shower and a small office nook.
On the first floor, you will find a well-equipped kitchen, dining, and living area in an open and well-lit floor plan. The original living room was converted to a first-floor bedroom with a king bed in 2022.
Just two steps from the new primary bedroom and off the family room you will find a small full bath with a tub/shower.
The cozy open front porch faces east onto a small shaded front lawn. There are views to the east and south that open up in the winter. It is the best place to escape the heat of the day or to enjoy early morning coffee.
The fully enclosed back porch was fully insulated in 2022 to make it more comfortable. It is not heated or air-conditioned as of yet since we want to see how it responds to the insulation.
The trailhead for the Blue Ridge Tunnel, a major local attraction, adjoins our property at one corner. The eastern access trail is a nearly level hard-pack surface 1/2 mile to the tunnel entrance. The tunnel, which opened for train traffic in 1858, is 4300 feet long and was dug simultaneously from east and west.

We’re located just 25 miles west of Charlottesville, UVA, and Monticello, 4 minutes from I-64 exit 99 or 10 minutes from I-64 exit 107. Waynesboro is 10 minutes to the west. It’s just a 15-minute walk to the Appalachian Trail. Wintergreen's Valley section, Stoney Creek is a 15-minute drive down the Rockfish Valley. The skiing area on the mountain is another 15 minutes beyond that or, if weather permits during non-freezing temperatures, you can shave some time by traveling the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway route to the mountain section. Enjoy everything the Blue Ridge Mountains have to offer.
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