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Somerset County's Off Grid Mountain Retreat
Description
Located in Somerset County, this off-grid timber-frame lodge sits on 55 +/- of mature-growth timber. Surrounded on the north, west and south by Laurel Ridge State Park and a stone’s throw from the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, this property is ideal for the family searching for their very own private retreat. The bordering property to the east is a large tract of vegetation managed to create optimal habitat for golden-winged warblers. The hiking trail provides good access to Pickings Run which flows through the property at its south end and includes springs and pools surrounded by a grove of native hemlock. Toward the north, the trail crosses similar pools and springs along Card Machine Run just outside the property in the state park. Near the house, there are springs at the headwaters of a small stream that flows into Pickings Run. The resident wildlife includes deer, turkey, ruffed grouse, several species of owl, many songbird species, bear, fox, coyote, porcupine, and many smaller mammals. The access road is the Forbes Trail that was cut through the forest and across Laurel Ridge in 1758 by the British Army under General John Forbes, marching westward to attack the French at Fort Duquesne which is now known as the city of Pittsburgh.
The lodge is a traditional timber frame of Douglas fir with mortise-and-tenon joinery held together entirely with oak pegs. The timber frame includes five bents: two with hammerbeam trusses, two with kingpost trusses, and one with a queenpost truss. The owners fell in love with the oak hammerbeam trusses of the St. Peter & St. Paul Church in Swaffham, England, built in 1454. Instead of the carved angels of the Swaffham church, these hammerbeams end with carved fir cones. Carved into one beam is a Latin quote from Pliny the Elder (first century AD): "Arborea et simulacra numinum fuere" ("Even the images of the gods were made of trees").
The timber frame is covered with wall panels made of six inches of foam insulation sandwiched between particle board (exterior) and drywall (interior). Exterior siding is natural cypress clapboard; interior ceiling is cedar tongue-and-groove paneling; floor is cherry. Foundation and chimney masonry is natural sandstone gathered from the surface on Laurel Ridge. Front and back porch posts are oak tree trunks cut on the property.
The house is entirely off the grid, with well and septic system. The well is 350 feet deep; the water rises to around 230-250 feet below the surface; and the pump is positioned 300 feet below the surface. The stove, water heater (instantaneous), and refrigerator are propane from two alternating sets of three 100-pound tanks each. Electricity is solar, from eight Siemens panels charging a 750-amp-hour battery bank (eight L10s) in a 24-volt DC circuit. An inverter converts 24-volt DC from the battery bank to conventional 120-volt AC to run the house through a standard circuit-breaker panel. A fan can be set to run under specified temperature and humidity conditions during the daytime to draw in outside air and reduce interior humidity when the house is not occupied. A backup generator (Honda EM4000SX) produces 4000 watts of power at 120 or 240 volts AC to run the house or charge the batteries when sunlight may be insufficient in a long spell of cloudy weather. Heat is from a wood fireplace and a traditional Oval wood-burning kitchen cook stove. Plumbing was designed to be easily winterized allowing all water to drain fully to protect the house from damage in cold weather when the house is not occupied.
Additional Information
wildlife
- bear
- big game
- small game
- turkey
- whitetail deer
recreation
- bird watching
- hiking trails
- hunting
- public land access
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