Cabin Lore: The Neighbors' Tree House

The front of the tree house, from the Lawyers' yard.
Beaver Run is visible in the background.

Among the earliest buyers and builders in the Hawksbill Pines neighborhood were the Lawyers - that was their actual last name, and the cross street at the top of the hill was named after them.  They settled in and built a weekend home up there with excellent party amenities, including walk in cold storage out in the barn - the same one that Dan now brews out of.

They lived in the house at the end of the block for a good long time.  There is still evidence of wonderful summer parties there in the house - the current owners will take you for a walk down in the basement where many a guest signed in.  Times were good in the summer in the Pines!

Some time after the couple retired to the neighborhood, their first house became too difficult to live in.  They owned the lots next door, so they built an easy 60's era ranch over there.  It's actually a two-story home built into the hillside, so the basement opens to the yard in the back, while the main entry is at ground level in the front.

The view of the tree house from Hawksbill Cabin,
across the hollow.

Eventually Mrs. Lawyer was confined to a wheel chair.  They weren't going to let that stop them from enjoying the great outdoors, however, so they built a grand tree house out in the woods.  It's at least a 30 foot walk out the deck to get to it, and the house is easily 30 to 40 feet above ground.

I can imagine summer nights out there with friends, enjoying a cookout dinner and playing cards into the night.  In the spring, the serenade of the peeper frogs would be absolutely amazing, and in the summer, the fireflies would be such a treat.  Combine that with an unobstructed view of Big Meadow Mountain in Shenandoah National Park and you wouldn't have much to complain about.