About Wonderlust Acres
The story of Wonderlust Acres is rooted in a deep connection to the land as a source of sustenance, enchantment, and spiritual awakening.
The Farm
The Wonderlust Acres property was originally held by the Phillips, one of Purlear’s founding families that still owns much of the surrounding hollow. The Stargazer Farmhouse was constructed in 1920, and the semi-wooded landscape was once pasture that provided a livelihood for the family. The original outhouse was located where the timber-frame barn now sits next to Little Fork Creek.
Like many historic homes, the farmhouse sat empty once its original residents grew up, moved on, or moved out. Unoccupied for decades, the house fell into disrepair.
Eventually, the Phillips farmhouse and surrounding 10 acres were sold to a local real estate investor and landholder who acquired the property not to develop it but to restore the house as a mountain retreat for his family.
THe Quest
In the early 2000s, Benjamin Ray was living and working in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was anxious to find a quiet patch of land where he could build a cabin to escape the hustle of the city – an unconventional goal for a 20-something.
On the weekends, he often visited his friend and spiritual mentor who lived in the North Carolina High Country. Through this friend, Benjamin was introduced to the real estate investor that owned the Phillips Farmhouse. The connection between Benjamin and the investor was instant and they soon began to meet frequently to look at land for Benjamin to buy.
Despite all the properties Benjamin looked at, none of them compelled him to make an offer to purchase. As a first-time real estate buyer, he also discovered how difficult it would be to get a loan for raw land. He mentioned this difficulty to the investor who recalled the old farmhouse in Purlear.
After some consideration, the investor and his wife agreed they were open to selling the farmhouse and arranged a meeting to show the property to Benjamin. As they traveled the Blue Ridge Parkway toward the house, Benjamin sensed that this outing would somehow be different from their previous trips.
The moment they turned down the driveway, Benjamin knew the house was meant for him. He had seen it, touched its walls, smelled its decay, and listened to the tumbling water of the creek – all in a dream several weeks before.
The dream
Months before the trip to Purlear, as Benjamin lay sleeping in his Charlotte apartment, he experienced a vivid dream. In this dream, he walked down a driveway to an old red farmhouse. Benjamin entered the farmhouse, looking inside every room as he surveyed the 25 years of deterioration in lucid detail. He noticed the structural damage to the floor as he walked through the living room and onto the front porch. Every feature of the house was as crisp and clear to his senses as it would be many weeks later during his “first” visit to the house.
The dream was so realistic, that it lingered in the back of Benjamin’s mind for weeks.
The Restoration
As Benjamin and the investor walked up the steps of the old farmhouse together, the vivid details of the dream came flooding back to him. He declared out loud, “This will be my house,” and proceeded to explain the dream he had a few months prior.
Convinced that the farmhouse was meant to be Benjamin’s, the investor agreed to divide the property in half so Benjamin could afford it. Benjamin then took it upon himself to rehabilitate and remodel the house, including replacing the rotted main floor sill beneath the living room.
The investor orchestrated and funded an extensive renovation process that included drilling an artesian well to provide clean water for the house. Every finishing detail, down to the flooring and paint colors, was carried out to Benjamin’s exact specifications.
The project was completed on the promise of a handshake and good faith that Benjamin would buy the house one day. And on June 29th, 2004, at the age of 24, with a first-time homeowner’s loan in hand, he did.
The transformation
The farmhouse served as Benjamin’s home for six years, providing a never-ending source of inspiration and peace that most folks only experience a handful of times in their life. In 2011, Benjamin moved to Boone and began leasing the farmhouse as a vacation rental.
In 2018, he purchased the adjacent five acres (that he could not afford in 2004) and began to reclaim the land and creek from the scrubby, thorny growth that had settled on the dormant property.
While the property transformed before his eyes, Benjamin felt as if he was discovering this place for the very first time. As he reveled in the excitement and pleasant exhaustion of working with the land, he became increasingly convinced that this special place was meant to be shared. Thus, the concept of Wonderlust Acres as a gathering place was born.
More than a business, Wonderlust Acres is an expression of Benjamin’s appreciation for the spirit of the mountains and the endearing communities that they envelop. With the opening of Wonderlust Acres, Benjamin invites you to experience the enchantment for yourself.
The transformation of the Phillips farm into Wonderlust Acres would not have been possible without the expertise and skill of these local contractors:
- Ellis Brothers Builders; timber frame pavilions, bridge, and glamping platforms
- Eric Tobey; custom sawmilling for all structures
- Timber Structures, Inc.; barn timber frame
- Max Zintzun; barn roofing, fireplace, and front facade, general landscaping
- All Around Tree Service; limbing & view clearing
- Solid Ground Grading; all grading for roads, ponds, barn site, and septic work
- Josh Cooper; custom metal work
- Matt Ray Photography
- Mosaic Civic Studio; branding, web design, site map