The spring house at Thistle Hollow

Beautifully renovated spring house on the grounds of the 1800s Peter Breneman House.

Soak up peace and quiet in one of the most beautiful corners of the Shenandoah Valley. Enjoy starry skies, sunrises, and birdwatching from your private porch.

9 minutes from Eastern Mennonite University, 13 minutes from James Madison University, and 45 minutes from the entrance to Shenandoah National Park.

The spring house is a "tiny house". The interior is just 20' x 20', open floor plan, with a loft that's half that size. The main floor has a bed, kitchenette, living room, and bathroom with a sliding door. In the loft (accessible by a ladder) is a full-size futon mattress on the floor.

The cottage is built over a spring that has been providing the water for the Breneman house for 150 years. The spring flows beneath the spring house and on to form the neighboring pond.

My family and I live in the main house, and the spring house is across the backyard from us. You have the whole cottage to yourself. Your porch faces away from our home and other than cows on the other side of the fence sometimes, is quite private.

Across the fence is a 30-acre meadow down to a creek. If you'd like to walk on the farm, let us know, and we can advise on the best route depending on cows and gates.

We renovated the spring house with green design principles in mind. The cottage operates entirely off of solar power in the summer! We use energy-efficient hot water, heating and air conditioning, thick insulation, reclaimed wood and fixtures, non-toxic cleaning supplies, and line-dried linens as weather permits.