CHURCHVILLE - A large inn sits at the edge of Churchville.
You can't miss it — it kind of sneaks up on you as you drive the winding roads of U.S. 250. What used to serve as a coach stop is now the Buckhorn Inn and it could be yours for less than $500,000.
Currently serving as a bed and breakfast, the Buckhorn has seen several different uses over the past two centuries. Built in 1811, the Buckhorn was known as the Dudley House for the structure's builder William Dudley.
The inn has been on the market for more than a year and is currently listed for $495,000 with Kline May Realty's Minnie Stevenson.
It has six guest bedrooms with private baths, access to a private balcony and a lounge for relaxing, according to the listing.
The first floor features two main dining rooms, a private dining room for small gatherings, banquet room with a dance floor, game room, two banquet areas, fully-equipped kitchen, galley and two baths. There is also an innkeeper's quarters are on the third floor.
History
It was on the "edge of civilization," in those days, says current owner Garland Yoder, therefore it wasn't only a coach stop but also a community center, dance hall, tavern and gambling hall.
It was later known as Buckhorn Tavern — where high stakes gambling was at its peak.
According to history, in 1854 Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson stayed at the inn on his way to Warm Springs. But, back then he was just a professor from Virginia Military Institute. He came through the area with his first wife Elinor, who was very sick and wanted to go to the sulphur springs to aid her ailments.
It was rumored that the inn served as an infirmary after the Battle of McDowell in 1862, Yoder said.
In the 1920s the inn was purchased to be turned into a resort but that never came to fruition. In 1929, the White family (of White Way Lunch) purchased the property.
By the 1940s, the Whites rented rooms out to hunters passing through the area. According to Yoder, up to 50 hunters would stay at the spot at a time. After World War II, families moved to the inn to get their lives started after the war, Yoder said.
In the early 1950s, the Whites moved into the inn through the 1970s where they catered to hunters. By the 1970s, Rudolph Evers purchased the property and the restaurant opened in 1978 and functioned up until 2007.
Yoder has owned the Buckhorn for the past 11 years with his wife Sylvia. He and Sylvia raised their children upstairs in the innkeepers quarters. The inn turned into a bed and breakfast when the Yoders took over. They tried to keep the restaurant running, but the recession hit and it was hard to keep in going. Instead, now they do events in the catering hall.
"We certainly enjoyed the social aspect of it," Yoder said. "We get to meet people from all over the world. Our kids have learned how to interact with people, they've learned how to serve the guests and it's been a very unique environment for them to be in."
With three children almost grown, Yoder said it's time to downsize. Yoder is a contractor and has moved up to Harrisonburg.
"We need to simplify our lives," he said. "It's getting too hectic for us."
Specs
- 8,269 square feet
- 7.55 acres
- Individual well
- Colonial-style home
- Central AC (with wall units) and heat
- Schools — Churchville Elementary, Beverley Manor Middle, Buffalo Gap High
- Innkeepers quarters — three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms
- Fireplaces in dining room, family room and some bedrooms
On the market looks at unique properties in the Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro areas. Have a neat property? Contact Laura Peters at lpeters@newsleader.com or 213-9125. Follow Laura Peters @peterslaura and @peterpants.