4843 Stanaford, Prince, WV 25907

HEART OF THE NATIONAL PARK TRACT 1

Few private properties remain for sale, so near the center of the newly established New River Gorge National Park & Preserve. Though located near the very heart of the park, the property is fewer than 15 minutes from suburban Beckley, the largest city in southern West Virginia. The steep, wooded tract accommodates two potential homesites. At the front, a quarter-acre of less-sloping land includes a former historic home site-a relic of the community's ghost-town period-and includes a well, septic system, fieldstone walls, and a stone chimney. A second potential homesite at the upper property overlooks a five-mile panorama of the gorge from more than 200 feet above the river. Both sites afford unmatched views of the mountains. The property is located in one of the most popular outdoor recreation areas in the park, in which the park service is developing new recreational resources. The park manages five public campgrounds within five miles of Prince and is adding a sixth campground only two miles away. Backcountry camping is also permitted in the park over much of the area, notably along the river. Park officials have announced plans to open new recreational trails leading along the river and ascending into the local highlands. The tract is within 1,000 feet of the Art Moderne-styled Prince Depot, an active Amtrak station on the New York-Chicago line. Thousands of locals and visitors use the station annually, notably scouts who are visiting the Bechtel National Scout Preserve, home of the Summit, the National Jamboree site for the Boy Scouts of America, a drive of fewer than 10 miles from the property. Though upstream, the New River is renowned for its whitewater rafting, the river at Prince is relatively calm and a destination for warm water fishing and flatwater recreational pursuits such as kayaking, canoeing, and paddle-boarding. Trout streams cascade out of the highlands in every direction. Hunting is a popular pursuit in sections of the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. ATTRIBUTES AND HIGHLIGHTS Near the geographic center of the national park Easy access to developing trails and campgrounds Destination for hiking, biking, fishing, and paddling Adjoins national park at its front and rear boundaries Overlooks a five-mile section of the river in its gorge Approximately 10 minutes drive-time to the City of Beckley Approximately 10 minutes drive-time to the Summit Bechtel Scout Reserve Neighboring historic structures include the Prince Depot and Prince Brothers Store One of few private properties near the river within the park boundary ABOUT THE NEW RIVER GORGE NATIONAL PARK & PRESERVE This heart-of-the-park tract is located near the center of the newly established New River Gorge National Park & Preserve in the midst of one of the fastest-growing tourism-based economies in West Virginia. In 2020, Congress established the 70,000-acre park, though the National Park Service had managed the area as a "national river" since 1978. The designation has resulted in a revolutionary interest in the region as a destination for travel and residency. Articles in Time, Vogue, and USA Today over the last year have greatly accelerated interest in the area globally, as has television coverage by major networks. Time has since named the park one of the "World's 100 Greatest Places." Long a renowned destination for hiking, biking, rock-climbing, and whitewater rafting, the park has been attracting more than two million visitors annually in recent years. Officials had predicted an increase of more than 20 percent in visitation in its first year, though the increase appeared to be nearer 50 percent as of August 2021. Park officials are proceeding with the development of the central section of the park near Prince as outlined in the park's 2011 Development Plan. Planners are expanding accommodations at five public campgrounds near Prince and are adding a sixth within two miles. New recreational trails are being opened in the immediate area, leading along the river and its tributaries and into the local highlands. Notably, trails are being built that link the gorge at Prince to Beckley and the Bechtel National Scout Reserve and to overlooks and picnic areas at Grandview. Plans also include the completion of a through-the-park trail and backcountry trails that extend to the east and south of Prince. A notable trail in its planning stage ascends to Pinnacle Rock, a formation high on the ridge above Prince and the heart-of-the-park tract. Copies of the 2011 Foundation Plan for the New River Gorge National Park are available through this listing agent. THE HISTORIC GHOST TOWN Much of the community of Prince (pop. 90 residents in 2019) has existed over the last century as a ghost town, though it is enjoying a rejuvenation as a vacation home destination thanks in part to its location within America's newest national park. Restored and preserved historic structures may be found throughout the community, as can be ruins and old stone foundations. The town was established in about 1870 when brothers William and James Prince developed land deeded by their cousin Alfred Beckley, the founder of what's now the nearby City of Beckley. Like many other ghost towns in the New River Gorge, Prince boomed and burst with the rise and fall of coal mining in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The gorge was practically mined out by the early 1900s, after which it reverted to a principally forested state. Landmarks in Prince today include the preserved Prince Brothers Store, which is owned by the park service and adjoins the lower end of the tract. Another important landmark, the Prince Depot is an active Amtrak station that ties the seemingly remote area with the commerce of Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. The station is a walk of fewer than 1,000 feet from the tract, and the post office at Prince, while not historic, is a walk of fewer than 200 feet. The Stretcher's Neck Tunnel famously allows the railroad here to circumvent a neck of mountain in which the river famously meanders to nearly meet itself. The tunnel's eastern portal is about 800 feet from the tract. Historical structures on the tract include garden walls of dry-laid fieldstone, a worked stone chimney (at the former homesite), and boulders stacked near the upper level of the property and along the flank of the gorge. An important Native American trail through the gorge crossed or nearly crossed the tract, paralleling the river, and native artifacts may be present. SUMMIT BECHTEL NATIONAL SCOUT RESERVE The home of the National Scout Jamboree and a high-adventure base for the scouts, the Bechtel National Scout Reserve annually hosts thousands of scouts and their guests. The reserve is also one of four high-adventure bases managed by the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America and includes more than 14,000 acres adjacent to the national park. The 24th World Scout Jamboree in 2019 welcomed more than 45,000 visitors. The 17th Interamerican Scout Jamboree is planned for 2023. The reserve is a drive of approximately 10 minutes from Prince. WINTERPLACE Prince is a drive of approximately 30 minutes from Winterplace Ski Resort, billed as the skiing and tubing resort "where the South learns to ski." Its 25 slopes descend the northeast flank of Flat Top Mountain near the I-77 expressway. During ski season, the resort welcomes thousands of guests and keeps many local hotels and inns booked to capacity. LOCATION Google Coordinates: 37.856519, -81.064120 Address: 4843 Stanaford Road, Prince, WV 25907 Elevation Range: approximately 1,190 to 1,420 feet above sea level MINERAL RESOURCES West Virginia law provides for separate ownership titles for surface rights and mineral rights. This property is being conveyed as surface only. BOUNDARIES AND SURVEY The property is being sold by the boundary and not by the acre. ACCESS/FRONTAGE The property is accessible from an unimproved gravel lane that extends approximately 500 feet from route WV-41, a paved two-lane state highway. UTILITIES Water: Well Sewer: Septic Electricity: American Electric Power Internet: Satellite; Dial-up Fire Service: Oak Hill Fire Department Cell: Carriers may require booster ZONING Fayette County is subject to zoning regulations. All prospective buyers should consult the county commission, National Park Service, and the county health department for details regarding zoning, building codes, and the maintenance of septic systems. PROPERTY TYPE/USE SUMMARY The property is mostly forest. This summary is an estimation of current property use as determined from aerial photography. It is made subject to the estimation of property boundaries and any errors in the interpretation of land use type from aerial photography utilized. DEED and TAX INFORMATION Deed Information: Book 727, Page 226 Acreage: Approximately 1.92 Real Estate Tax ID/Acreage/Taxes: Fayette County, West Virginia; New Haven District Tax Map 132-A; Parcel 14 2020 Real Estate Taxes: $55.34