Be the light

Some days, it feels like the big wins are just out of reach.

The funding that once seemed promising now hangs in question. The message inboxes are quieter. The timelines blur. The restoration, like so much in life, asks more patience than expected.

But even in uncertainty, we keep working.

Lately, I’ve found myself drawn to the flower beds. They’re not part of any grant proposal. No one’s taking photos (except me!). But they matter. I’ve been pulling weeds, loosening old soil, and planting color where there used to be only dust and overgrowth. A few blooms. A little beauty. Something anyone walking or driving by can see and feel.

It’s a simple act—but it’s deliberate. And in some ways, it’s the heart of this entire project.

To restore something old takes more than tools — It takes care.

And care begins in the small things—digging in the dirt, clearing out all the old furniture, cleaning up dusty hallways, showing up even when the paperwork feels endless and the path uncertain.

We're still working behind the scenes to establish our nonprofit status. It's not glamorous work, but it’s necessary. And we’ve started the process of building a board—a team of individuals who believe in what this place can become: a space for community, history, and hands-on learning. A home for heritage and hope.

Even though we haven’t yet secured historic preservation funding, and even though some of that support is now uncertain, we continue. This work isn’t driven by budget approvals—it’s driven by belief.

There will always be setbacks. Delays. Doubts.

But this manor has stood here since 1908. And I believe it still has something to give.

So we move forward. One flower bed. One conversation. One cleaned room at a time.

If you’ve passed by lately, maybe you’ve seen the first glimpses—sunlight on the petals, vines cut back, stones unearthed, fountain heads discovered. Maybe it caught you off guard, or maybe you didn’t notice at all. That’s okay. This isn’t about drawing attention. It’s about presence. And presence is its own kind of progress.

We don’t know how long it will take.

But we’ll keep showing up, no matter how long it does.

That’s what it means to be the light.

Listening

It took me a little time, but I eventually developed a better sense of listening to the world around me. It may sound odd, but every time a turn comes in the road of life, I stop to listen.

If you didn’t know, I was a teacher when I first graduated college. I was wondering what to do when I finished school. I had applied to graduate programs for Medical Physics. I was turned down at every program I submitted an application to. I stopped. I listened. A small school back home needed a math teacher. I applied and got the job. My first big kid job was a math and science teacher at Bishop Walsh School in Cumberland, MD. I loved teaching. I did not love the environment. I stopped to listen.

My heart told me to go back to school and try something different. So I did. All that math, physics, and chemistry was fun, but what about biology? Let’s try that. So I did. And I loved every minute of it. I thought to myself, “what the heck do you do with a biology degree?” As I listened, I heard other students talking about applying to medical school. So I started volunteering. Then I sat for my MCAT. Then I applied to medical schools.

As a typical pre-med student, I had my list of schools I wanted to go to. I had my interviews lined up. My first interview on the trail was at WVU SOM in Morgantown. I went to that interview and absolutely felt at home. After, as I was driving back to Baltimore, I called my parents and told them that if I didn’t get into WVU SOM, then I wasn’t meant to go to medical school. I wrote emails and canceled the remainder of my interviews. Shortly after, I got my letter of acceptance to WVU SOM.

During medical school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I had thoughts of going into Oncology because of my personal history. As I went through my third year rotations, I found that I loved every rotation I was on. I couldn’t imagine removing any of the services I was exposed to. Then I found Family Medicine. It was my perfect fit. When I stopped to listen, one of my attending physicians told me about their rural health program that allowed early placement into the residency program outside of the typical match. I applied and got my spot.

Fast forward a few years. I’m a second year resident doing rural rotations in Buckhannon, WV, with Dr. Gregory Peters at Community Care. We were going back and forth between his offices in Buckhannon and Rock Cave. One day, his schedule was particularly light. He looked at me and said, “Garrett, it’s a beautiful day and you should go do something fun.” So I said thanks and stepped out of the office. When I stopped to listen, my heart told me to explore. So instead of driving back up 79 to Morgantown, I headed East on 33 towards Elkins.

As I drove through Elkins the first time, it just caught me. It’s hard to explain the exact feeling, but it felt right. I continued my drive towards Harman and up to Canaan. As my cell phone reception came back in, I made my first call. My mom. I said, “Mom, I found out where I want to live.” Then I made my second call. My wife. I said, “hon(yeah Bawlmer!), I need to start applying for jobs in the Elkins area, I think we’re supposed to live there.” So that’s exactly what I did.

Interestingly, DM wasn’t hiring at the time. Or at least they weren’t advertising for any spots. I submitted applications to Stonewall, Minnie Hamilton, and Webster Springs. I got a few job offers, but none of them felt right. When I stopped to listen, I had the notion that perhaps I’d just write an email to the recruiter at DM and see if they’d be interested. The recruiter returned my email immediately and said that they would love to have me down. Interestingly, this was only February, and the suggestion was to come down some time in the late spring or early summer when the weather was better. I countered that I’d love to see it as soon as they were ready to have me. So we went down for an interview in the cold, snowy chill of February. Shortly after, I got my job offer. I stopped to listen, but knew it was right.

As you can tell, when I stop to listen, I’m listening to my heart, to the winds, to whatever heavenly body you believe in. Even since coming to Elkins, I’ve stopped to listen. It helps when I need to make the right decision.

Last summer, an ad popped up on my Facebook feed. It said, “Own a piece of history! Come bid on the IOOF Group Home!” I did a little research and looked at all the photos. To be honest, I didn’t anticipate that I’d even win the bid. I talked about it with my wife. I half mentioned it to my friends at work. I’m not even confident I actually asked my parents about it. However, when I stopped to listen the night before I physically placed my bid, I felt compelled and knew exactly how much to bid. Even after, I rarely checked the site to see how my bid was doing. I had the thought that I probably wouldn’t get it, but deep down, I was hoping.

Then the day hit and I got the call. My prior post said it all. After that call and before I got dressed to go sign papers, I stopped to listen. I chuckled. I had been talking about my dream care home for almost a decade at that point. I kept telling myself and the people closest to me, that I’d get to it someday. Eventually. Well God decided to give me the gut check. I listened. I said yes.

Now is the time for action, so that’s what I’m doing. Granted, we may have a few hiccups along the way. Political influences aside, I may have some funding and I may not. My primary goal is to take this one day at a time. I continue to listen. The answers will come. The funding will come. The project will progress.

I have faith that what we’re doing is going to make an amazing impact on our community. It will set the stage for elder care and the integration of self sufficiency and education with the community. The only limitation we have is our imagination.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. It’s just the beginning.

So for today, if you’re questioning something in your life, stop, and listen.

What’s next?

So the yard sale is complete and it was a hit! Many thanks to all those who came out to support and those who supported from afar. All proceeds have been added to the fund to help with renovations and costs associated with planning for the future.

Our next big steps will be obtaining historic status and getting our nonprofit status.

From the historic perspective, the property was evaluated and an application was started (perhaps 2-3 times before now) but nobody completed the application. We are restarting that application process. Cody Straley at the WV State Historic Preservation Office has assisted with the initial information we needed to get the ball rolling. With the help of the WV Brownfields and Preservation Alliance, we have hired a historian. Kelsey Hartmann of Hartmann Preservation Services LLC is our official historian working on the application and digging through all the history behind the original IOOF Group Home. If you’d like to check out more about her, click here. Once we get our historic status, then we can really start getting a plan in action for all our renovations.

From the nonprofit status, we are working closely with Mike Bell. He owns Mike Bell and Associates LLC and has years of experience not only with nonprofit groups but also fundraising, leadership, marketing, public relations, and strategic planning. If you’d like to find out more, click here. Once we get our nonprofit status, we begin work forming our board of directors and fine tuning the long term goals of the property. Our nonprofit status will also open the doors for anyone to make tax deductible contributions.

I’ve already written about the long term vision, but many people have come forward with more ideas to consider. Potentially adding open spaces for businesses to rent. Consideration for integration of a charter school, facilitating interaction with pediatrics and geriatrics, all learning topics of self preservation, land development, manual skills, healthcare, and so much more. Securing a safe space for women and children in the community. Establishing a home for people with disabilities. There are many ideas floating around and I love to hear them all, so keep them coming!

I am immensely grateful to everyone who has reached out to me. There has been an outpouring of support for the project and it fills me with hope for the future. This is a very large undertaking and it will take a village to make it happen. I am so happy you’ve decided to join me on this journey.

Let’s see where the future takes us.

Coming up with a plan

So I get a lot of people asking, “What are you gonna do with that place? How long will it take? How much is it going to cost you?” Let’s dive into those questions.

First, this is a long term project. We are talking 10+ years, realistically speaking. I’m still working through all the details and finding all the right people. I’ve found some amazing people so far, so I know that we can accomplish our goals. It’s just gonna take some time.

Second, this stands a strong chance of being pretty expensive. I’m just a rural family doc in West by God Virginia, so it’s not like I’m sitting on a small family fortune to fund this. So far, I’m footing a mortgage payment for the property and when we need cash to get stuff done, I just take whatever extra I’ve saved up and make an investment in the future. Through some of the contacts I’ve made thus far, we are finding help for certain aspects of the project. I anticipate that I’ll keep making new friends and reaching out to groups to find the support we need to keep moving forward. As this project will take a full renovation of the property and then finding the right people to work with me, I anticipate the financial need to be in the tens of millions. I plan to apply for grants. I plan to take out business loans. I plan to find appropriately minded financial sponsors. We are already in the process of setting up a 501(c)(3), so you’ll be able to help out soon, too!

For the meat of this post, what the heck am I going to do? I’m going to do what I’ve been doing all along, dream.

When I was in residency at WVU SOM/WVUH in Morgantown, we helped take care of the residents at Sundale Nursing Home. It was an amazing experience for me. Granted, the o’dark thirty pages with normal lab values and simple coughs weren’t always the most pleasant, but the residents opened my mind to the future of elder care. I dreamt of nursing homes with open floor plans and green space. I dreamt of raising food and actively involving residents with digging in the dirt and eating fresh veggies straight out of the garden. I envisioned having animals on property and the smiles that chicks, ducklings, piglets, and calves bring. My dream for a better model of elder care was born.

Fast forward to 2024, and an opportunity presented itself. To be honest, I really didn’t imagine I’d win the bid. If you read my prior story, you know that it was a bit of an “oh sh!t” moment for me. However, I took the message that it was time for me to act on my dreams.

Step 1: find a location. We got that! Big home, 3 stories, 50,000+ sq ft of usable space, 15 acres of woods and a pond. The Odd Fellows still own some of the other property around the site and I’m hopeful they will help build this dream with me. There’s an additional 15 acre farm down in the flood plain, there’s a 2.5 acre orchard, there’s a 1 acre vineyard, and there’s the ~8 acre property across the street with the barn and caretaker’s house. The Randolph County Development Commission owns the 90+ acres of farmland across the street, so perhaps they’ll be nice in the future, too…. wink wink.

Step 2: establish historic status. We’re working on that! I have a wonderful team of folks who have pointed me in the right direction and now I have a Preservationist Consultant on my side. I’m not sure how long it will take, but historic status will open a ton of doors for opportunity. This will also help with establishing a reputable historic architect to come up with the details of the long term renovation. I already have a lead on that, stay tuned.

Step 3: establish a nonprofit organization. Also another thing we’re working on! Mike Bell & Associates has been hired to help us through the process. Some initial paperwork has been filed. We are building the board of directors. Once we have our nonprofit status, more doors will be opened for opportunity.

Step 4: environmental cleanup. As with all old buildings, there’s going to be unsavory things found on site. Our biggest one is asbestos. We’ve already contacted the WV DEP and have some contractors lined up. We’re getting estimates on costs. It’s not ridiculous, but it also isn’t cheap. We’re working with the Brownfields Group to help align a better plan to get this accomplished. Stay tuned!

Step 5: the start of true renovation. Once we get a full architectural plan and break out all the fine details, then we can start acting on those details. Much of the inside is quite old, so there will be a lot of demolition work as we remove the old plaster and lath. We will be doing our best to reclaim as much of the original woodwork and tin in the building, so we can maintain the original look. The entire home will need to be rewired for electric and internet, new plumbing, sprinkler systems, etc. We will likely need to invest in a new elevator. Since the home is over 100 years old, we’re going to apply for REAP grants to help with windows, insulation, and anything else to assist with energy efficiency. To add to that, we can also think about other efficiency items and renewable energy, like geothermal heating and cooling, solar power generation, wind turbine power generation, etc. The overarching theme is to maintain its original character while bringing it up to current standards and prepare for the future. This will be the lengthiest and costliest part of the whole project.

Step 6: the start of our first residents. I’m anticipating independent living and assisted living. The rigors of a true nursing home status are a bit more that what I believe the property can manage. I’m leaving the option open, but I’m going to stick with something that I know will work. The goal is to have a mixed living situation that allows everyone a safe and happy environment, while offering all the amenities of a modern homestead. We also plan to house as much of their medical care in house that we can, from counseling, physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, speech therapy, massage therapy, case management, etc. With a farm/garden on property, we will also be looking into botanicals, herbals, and other natural remedies. This will be when we start looking to the community to hire staff and find the right individuals to join the team. We’ll be looking for people with a variety of skills because this isn’t just elder care, it’s cooking and canning food, it’s gardening, it’s taking care of animals, it’s so much more.

Step 7: doesn’t have to wait, it’s the start of our farm. Granted, we have to get the farm grounds, the orchard, the vineyard, and hopefully the barn, but we can start as soon as the land is available. This is where we start prepping our land for growing the food we will need. I imagine a mix of rotating pastures for grazing animals, greenhouses, fruit trees, berry bushes, raised beds, flowers, and a plethora of other things. If we start before there are residents, we can feed our community through community supported agriculture and farmer’s markets. We can experiment with growing practices: no till growing, regenerative agriculture, etc. We can build an orchard with fruit trees and berry bushes and flowers (can take 5+ years to mature). We can build our trelises for the vineyard (3+ years to maturity for new vines). We can start raising some of our animals and building our herd/flock. The agriculture side of the project can remain separate but intimately involved with everything else that is going on.

Throughout this whole project, the mission of the property will be growing and actively involving the community. We don’t need functional living space to teach about regenerative farming, permaculture orchards, woodworking, metal working, sewing, canning, and other aspects of self sufficiency. We will also share the robust history of the IOOF and the home, and its impact on our community in the early and mid 1900’s. We plan to grow this program in parallel with the renovations and development of the property. Education is at the core of our outreach. We wish to touch the lives of as many people in our community and abroad as we can.

So, as you can see, I’m a dreamer. This project is still in its infancy, but it can grow to be so much more. I hope you all stick around with me to see where this will go.

Stay tuned!

It all begins with a bid

It all started on a bit of a whim. In June of 2024, I saw a property go up for auction on all the social media sites. “Buy a piece of history” they said. “The possibilities are endless!” When I clicked through, it was a building/property that was about a mile or so from my home. 99 bedrooms. 21+ baths. 50,000+ sq ft of space on about 15 acres of woodlands. I asked my wife what she thought. She told me, “You’ll never win, but what does it hurt to put in a bid in?” So I did.

I dreamed a little. I checked in periodically to see if my bid was still the highest. As the final date of July 11th approached, I anticipated I would be outbid any day.

Oddly enough, I was on night shift that week. I had debated waking up early and going over to the final auction. However, I chose not to. I slept to my normal time of about 4pm. I woke up. I started my normal evening routine to get ready for work. Then, shortly after 5pm, my phone rang. “Unknown Caller” on the screen. I never pick those up. 30 seconds later, I get the ding of a new voicemail. As I listened, the voice came through good and clear “Hey, is this Garrett Butler? This is Joe Pyle from Joe Pyle Auctions and you’ve just won an auction! Give us a call back because we need you to sign some papers.”

The first thought through my head was “oh, sh!t”. I called my parents and told them to meet me over there. I tossed on my work clothes and packed my things. Then, I took that fateful drive that started this whole adventure. I signed all the papers. I met all the people. Shook all the hands. Sweating bullets the entire time. “What the heck did I get myself into?”

And so the story has continued to grow since then and will continue to grow. I’ve had an outpouring of support from the community. Friends and family are genuinely excited for this project and the future that it will bring. I have so many ideas. I want to do so much with this. Stick around. It’s gonna get a lot more fun around here.