If you’ve ever dreamed of opening your own version of Gilmore Girls’ Dragonfly Inn, this might be the perfect opportunity.
A quaint bed & breakfast in the scenic mountains of North Carolina has hit the market for $1,825,500.
Located in the town of Burnsville on Bald Mountain Creek near Asheville and the Pisgah National Forest, “Buck House Inn” comes with plenty of history.
“It’s beautiful. It’s kind of like stepping back in time, to be quite honest with you,” D’Ann Ford with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty told Realtor.com. “All of the wood on the inside was cut from the property.”
“It’s very warm. When you walk in, there’s a certain smell and creakiness of the floor that just brings you back to homes back in the 1900s,” Ford explains, adding that she grew up in a similar home. “You walk in, and the fireplaces are in their original state—and the creaky floors. For me, it just brings back memories.”
“Buck House Inn” was built over two years in 1904 by David and Pearl Buck, who owned a timber company and over 4,000 acres of land.
In 2012, Sam and Debbie Stebbins purchased the estate after dreaming for decades of owning and operating their very own B&B. But it looks like the current owners are ready to move on.
“You could make it a residential home, or you could continue to run it as the inn,” Ford said. “There are many options, and the owners understand that when the property does sell, that somebody may not continue with the work that they’ve done on it.”
“It has been run as a successful B&B since 2012,” the listing notes.
Made up of six bedrooms and six bathrooms, the Colonial-style estate is situated on 7.5 acres of land in the gated community of The Preserve at Wolf Laurel, and is surrounded by 720 acres of conservation land.
“1,000 feet of Bald Mountain Creek flows gently through the property and is within 50 feet of the home’s large wraparound porch,” the listing describes.
“It’s got several rocking chairs that you can sit on and listen to the creek that’s sitting right there,” Ford adds. “You can probably hear the creek throughout the house if you open the windows.”
In 2001, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was completely renovated in 2008 with new pipes and electrical wiring.
Features include an expansive dining room, gourmet kitchen, two parlors with fireplaces for entertaining and a primary suite on the main floor.
On the second floor are four bedrooms, with the third floor reserved for owners overlooking the property.
Buildings where a sawmill, general store and post office once operated still stand on the massive property.
“There used to be a railroad track that went to the property, where they would drop off the lumber. They were able to mill it and build the home,” Ford explains. “If it was me, and I had enough money,” Ford says, “I would turn that into a cute, one-bedroom cottage.”
Currently, the inn is only open about half the year, but many clients return annually for a visit.
“You’ve got security, you’ve got setting, you’ve got privacy, and you’ve got the creek that’s babbling,” Ford said. “It’s a dream for most people, and they wish they could find it. And now, here it is.”
