About Diana and Traylor Renfro
We are Diana and Traylor Renfro, originally from Opelika, Alabama, where we grew up in the same church and schools. After college, we moved to Charlotte, NC, where I (Diana) worked as a Registered Dietitian and Traylor taught Economics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC). Traylor soon changed to a career in Human Resources and I turned to artistic endeavors, primarily writing. We both always loved gardening and growing vegetables, flowers, and landscape plants. Our two daughters, raised in Charlotte, learned to love good food and beautiful gardens.
We found these 45 acres late in 1999, on a pilgrimage out of the city into the country to the highlands of Ashe County. It was love at first sight. Responding to an ad in the 'Second Hand News' on a drizzly November day, we walked the fence line trying to comprehend just how much land could be included in 45 acres. There was a large bowl of a meadow with a boggy bottom full of springs that drained into a winding branch. To one side, there were bare hardwoods with an under story of Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurel. A couple of hills were too steep and rocky to walk. Other areas were filled with brambles or “freeze-dried” wild-flowers. Spreading over a bluff in the sun, surrounded by barbed wire and locust fencing, was a wide flat hayfield, and, at the bottom, another flat field grew healthy green rye. The old farmhouse, unusable due to a fallen tree which exposed the interior to the elements, would have to come down, but there were two large barns and half a dozen other outbuildings. Everything needed attention. No one had lived on the property for fifteen years.
We just knew from the beginning that it was meant to be ours. It was calling to us, showing us its great potential, and we couldn’t wait to get started. Today, it’s the same place with amenities. And we believe as stewards of the land, it is meant to be shared. Come stay for a while and discover North Carolina's "coolest corner."
Diana and Traylor Renfro purchased this Cottage in 2000
Why Diana and Traylor Renfro chose Helton
Get away from it all! Escape from the phones and the emails, from television and traffic. Hide away in the country where you can hear music in the hills and watch the sky change colors.
Come remember what it’s like to live close to the earth, where tree frogs serenade in summer while fireflies twinkle, where butterflies drift through the gardens and dragonflies hover around the pond. In autumn, experience the color changes of the hardwoods and reach for apples and pears as they ripen on the tree. Hike around in the crisp fallen leaves. In winter, suit up and sled down snowy slopes. Then build a crackling fire while the wind howls. By spring, you’ll want to warm in the sun while dandelions pop up. Why not sit on the pier by the pond and toss out a line with some fresh bait and tempt a bass or bluegill for your supper?
You will find fresh foods grown organically right here on the farm or on nearby farms in Ashe County. Harvest fresh herbs, fruits and flowers in season.
Ashe County North Carolina is a last frontier for exploring the Appalachian lifestyle. The arts venues and eco-tourism available within the natural rural setting create a rich life here. You will love it here.
What makes this Cottage unique
Do you remember where food comes from? What it’s like to breathe deeply of fresh air? How the Milky Way brightens the sky on a moonless night? Need to change your point of view?
Escape from the phones and the emails, from television and traffic. Hide away in the country where you can hear music in the hills and watch the sky change colors.
Come remember what it’s like to live close to the earth, where tree frogs serenade in summer while fireflies twinkle, where butterflies drift through the gardens and dragonflies hover around the pond. In autumn, experience the color changes of the hardwoods and reach for apples and pears as they ripen on the tree. Hike around in the crisp fallen leaves. In winter, suit up and sled down snowy slopes. Then build a crackling fire while the wind howls. By spring, you’ll want to warm in the sun while dandelions pop up. Why not sit on the pier by the pond and toss out a line with some fresh bait and tempt a bass or bluegill for your supper?
You will find fresh foods grown organically right here on the farm or on nearby farms in Ashe County. Harvest fresh herbs, fruits and flowers in season.
River sports, hiking/biking trails, trout fishing, antiquing, bluegrass music events, and outstanding artisan creations are accessible nearby, but many who visit here prefer quiet time for reading, reflection and quiet activities like fishing and bonfires beneath the stars.
