Berea, Kentucky

Unique handcrafted timber-frame house, built from locally milled trees. Structure designed by master woodworker Don Weber. Oil lamps, luminous clay paint, and undulating walls create beautiful interior ambience. A local bank has offered financing if needed.

Pier foundation keeps water and critter out. French drain feeds the goldfish pond and doubles as walkway and fire break. Engineer-designed porch living-roof garden. Self-sustaining with wood and propane heat; propane/electric appliances. Passive solar, thermal mass, and straw-bale walls give superior insulation, warm in winter, cool in summer. Natural plaster allows air and vapor permeability.

Adjacent to Owsley Fork Lake, with trails in Berea College-owned woods surrounding lake. Great for boating; no gas motors allowed, so lake stays quiet. Neighbors are sustainably-oriented, and a hedge or fence could be added if complete privacy is desired.

This property has  aparking area close to the road, while the house sits well back in the woods. Straw bale walls create a remarkably quiet, peaceful interior feel, and R-50 insulation value. There is plenty of space on the lot to build a garage, barn, boat shed, guest house, or run a business.

Water sources are roof-fed cisterns and a new water well, both potable. Outgoing greywater feeds gravel bed system under garden. Dual chamber waste composing toilet system. Room to add septic system plus flush toilet(s) if desired.