Mercer County’s newest vacation home offers guests an Almost Heaven experience

Last updated: April 1, 2022

One of Mercer County’s newest vacation home offers guests an Almost Heaven experience. With stunning scenic views from the estate’s massive windows to a gourmet kitchen, with a coffee bar, Lake Mountain Manor is a hit with guests from all over the country.

Owners Paul and Cathy Smith are not surprised by the reactions to the beauty of the area. It was one of the reasons why the couple choose to retire and live out their dreams in West Virginia.

“When Paul was approaching retirement, we discussed where we would retire to. It was no question. We would return to my ancestral home. After living in eight states, traveling to all 50 for work, traveling and living around the world in 57 different countries, it was no mystery where the best place on this planet was to live – Almost Heaven, West Virginia,” the couple said.

“The house was designed to completely take in the views. As we said, this is truly Almost Heaven and to shut it out, would be a sin. So, several massive windows were installed to capture the spectacular views with the mindset of bringing the outdoors in while keeping out the weather,” they said.

They also have plans to create a floating swim platform, a fireplace and pizza oven at the pavilion, and a stone cottage on the property. The house is eco-friendly. Lake Mountain Manor features a renewable energy boiler system that heats all the floors in the home.

“Another soon to come is the lake water filtration system for water. We also have plans for a hydro-electric grid for the manor, which may be about two years to accomplish. We’ve also recently added the lake pavilion by the pier and have just cleared a part of the lake for a family beach, complete with West Virginia river sand that will be ready in a few weeks,” added the Smiths.

When guests come to Lake Mountain Manor and its 40 acres, the Smiths can introduce them to West Virginia wildlife and culture.

“There is no surprise that wildlife is abundant here, so we have shared that with guests in fauna education and watching. We have recently opened a Honeybee Apiary and will be offering classes to folks on beekeeping and their importance to our world. We also teach about ancient Cherokee flora used, like the Staghorn Sumac that grows wild on the property. It was used by Cherokee to make Quallah, which is a natural superfruit drink that taste, surprisingly like lemonade. There are several other native plants we can use for health and wellness as well. So, you can see,” said the Smiths. “Mercer County, West Virginia is almost heaven!”

For more information on Lake Mountain Manor, call 304-960-3029 or visit www.lakemountainmanor.com.