HARRISONBURG AREA
Shenandoah Valley Lifestyles
Sponsored by The Spotswood Garden Club
Wednesday, April 21, 10 a.m. to 5
p.m.
Chair:
Becky Wilson
805 Oak Hill Drive
Harrisonburg VA 22801
Telephone: (540) 434-7617
E-mail: rlw121253@aol.com
Co-Chair:
Nancy Sweet
431 Silver Oaks Drive
Harrisonburg
VA 22801
Telephone: (540) 434-3508
E-mail: nansweet@live.com
Tickets:
Sara Zimmerman
1852 Airport Road
Bridgewater VA 22812
Telephone: (540) 828-2463
E-mail: sarazim@comcast.net or nsowers131@aol.com.
TICKET PURCHASE: Advance tickets, $20. May be purchased from any Spotswood Garden Club member or at Artistic Florist, Hardesty Higgins House, Hess Greenhouses, Knit Works, Wine Styles, The Bistro on North Main and Timberville Drug Store. For Internet tickets, please access www.VAGardenweek.org
DAY OF TOUR: Full ticket, $25, Single-site admission, $10. Tickets may be purchased at any of the homes on tour day. Houses may be visited in any order.
DIRECTIONS TO TOUR AREA: All properties are located east of Harrisonburg between Port Republic Rd. (I-81, Exit 245 E) and Rte 33 E. All are within zip code 22801.
REFRESHMENTS: Tea will be served by the Spotswood Garden Club in the Sunnyside Room of Sunnyside Retirement Community located on Glenside Drive, in the same area as the Zirkle home. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Open to all with Garden Tour ticket. Restrooms available.
4140 LUCY LONG DRIVE. From I-81 take Exit 245 E onto Port Republic Rd. Go 3.2 mi. to Shen Lake Drive and turn left. Turn right onto Lucy Long Drive. House is up the hill on left. Quiet elegance best describes the ambience of this traditional home, and the owner’s artistic temperament is evident in the landscaping, décor and furnishings. Walls hold artwork collected for both extrinsic and intrinsic value. A LeRoy Neiman print, an original Renoir etching, and an original watercolor by Paul Landry hang alongside works by local artists Kay Flory and Marsha Heatwole. Some other pieces were collected because they are just fun, including vibrant paintings of animals by Chica Brunsvold. Most women see themselves in the painting in the powder room. Don’t miss it! Equally impressive is the artwork created by the owner herself. Her oils and watercolors, including the large oil over the fireplace, complement works by other artists.
Furnishings continue the artistic flow. An over-sized walnut armoire, a family piece, is so large that it could not be salvaged until a building was deconstructed. A small walnut chest goes back several generations; a custom-built burled walnut highboy stands as a focal point in the great room. Many pieces of Virginia Craftsman furniture are used throughout. Custom-built for the owner in 1996, the home includes gleaming hardwood floors, custom cabinetry and granite counters. Natural light streams through a bank of east-facing windows. The full walk-out basement is built entirely of wood. Nancy Bowman, owner.
Harrisonburg Area—2444 Massanetta Springs Road
2444 MASSANETTA SPRINGS ROAD. Continue on Lucy Long Drive to Traveler Rd. Turn right. Turn left onto Massanetta Springs Rd. House on immediate left. “Show Home” best describes this commanding property perched on two acres. The gracious entry opens onto a soaring two-story foyer and great room flanked by a bank of windows rising to 23 feet. Red oak flooring in the study was milled from trees that once grew in this spot. Walnut floorboards, also harvested from the property, outline the flooring in adjoining rooms. Polysteel construction creates 14-inch walls with an R factor of 60, providing energy efficiency and soundproofing. An impressive staircase shows off imported Italian balusters made of twisted European beech, hand-finished by the owner. The sumptuous master suite boasts a fireplace and deck access to the hot tub as well as a small morning kitchen.
Cabinetry throughout was designed by the owner and Amish built. The grandeur of the house is balanced by personal touches like a grandmother’s butter churn and a great-grandmother’s egg basket. Upstairs houses four guest suites, each with its own theme including “Texas” and “French Empire” rooms. The “Antique” room holds a family walnut bed reputedly once owned by George Washington’s niece. Interior doors are solid mahogany. This 8,000-square-foot showplace is first and foremost a home with warmth created by the owner’s personal touches. James Dye, owner.
4510 MAGNOLIA RIDGE DRIVE. Continue on Massanetta Springs Rd. 0.8 mi. to Shen Lake Drive. (Watch for geese at lake!) Turn right and drive through Lakeview Golf Club to Magnolia Ridge. Turn right into neighborhood. Take an immediate left. House is on right. Finding the perfect lot with sweeping mountain views, this owner set about designing and building her dream house. The simplicity of straight lines and neutral earth colors defines this Arts and Crafts style home. Her research provided the details of the custom-built house, and her builder, Valley Renovators, made that dream come true. The exterior combines the traditional California Mission style of stone and wood with the technology of today, with use of maintenance-free and energy-efficient materials. Landscaping compatible with the style provides a changing color scheme to the house all year long. Inside, hardwood floors, granite counters and a stone fireplace continue the use of natural materials.
A cozy library occupies a small area at the foot of the stairs, complete with a comfortable Morrison chair. Four Picasso sketches, souvenirs of the owner’s living in Paris, grace the walls. Furnishings and accessories, like the small chest in the family room, come from various countries; a few pieces were gathered from yard sales and flea markets, reflecting a most eclectic sensibility. Although simplicity is the guideword, the owner has treated herself to a large whirlpool tub in the master bath, a billiards room and a fully-stocked wine cellar. Melisa Michelsen, owner.
1181 VISTA GLEN DRIVE, Villa #4. Take Shen Lake Drive back to Massanetta Springs Rd. Turn right and go 0.4 mi. to Sunnyside Drive. Turn right into Sunnyside Retirement Community and follow the green arrows to Glenside Drive. Turn right and continue to Vista Glen Drive. Hostesses will direct you. Retirement takes on a new meaning when viewed from this spacious villa with its open living space and orientation to the outdoors. An eastern view takes in the Massanutten Peak and Laird’s Knob, and the Blue Ridge rises to the south. The owner can sit in the circular sunroom surrounded by tall Palladian windows and catch the morning sun or mosey onto the screened porch, deck or side porch. Much of the home is furnished with collectible pieces of Virginia Craftsman furniture. An early piece is a telephone table built to house the tall phones of yesteryear.
A European crystal chandelier from the owner’s childhood home now graces the formal dining area, complemented by a walnut chest and corner cupboard, ca. 1700s, made in the Shenandoah Valley. An 18th century English tall case clock stands nearby. Glass paperweights gathered by Dr. Zirkle sparkle on a windowsill, and Mrs. Zirkle’s extensive collections of interior door knockers fill one wall. Antique baskets sit atop kitchen cabinets. Numerous botanical prints hang in various spaces and include antiques and a contemporary original commissioned from local artist Joyce Overby. The side porch is surrounded by Mrs. Zirkle’s gardens. Here she enjoys birds and butterflies and the chatter from the adjacent golf course. Mrs. Walter Zirkle, Jr., owner.