The Story of On The Windfall


On the Windfall is part of the Eldreth Homestead circa 1800. The Eldreths farmed the property until the mid 1900s raising cattle, crops, and children. Some of the Eldreth descendants live in Ashe County today. They will occasionally stop by to share stories of the snowy winters and several mile treks on foot to replenish supplies of staples from the Husk Store. The family cemetery is on the property. The cottages were named after Deputy Sheriff Arthur, Granpy Aut and Amanda Eldreth, Granny Mandy.

On the Windfall is the vision of GA FORD Builders, Inc., Davidson, NC. George and his wife, Carole started out camping in the NC Mountains in the 1980s. They were drawn to this untouched part of the Appalachians for its beauty and purchased a tract of land located in the northwestern corner of NC. After raising 2 children, they relocated from the Charlotte area and have made the Windfall home. The 215 acre property remains mostly undeveloped and is a retreat for nature lovers. They have created a few acres of pasture and are raising livestock and gardening. Farming is a new adventure for this couple who have found YouTube to be a key learning tool. They love to share their love of the mountains and stories of this evolving retreat to guests of the farm.

For his getaway, he envisioned cottages where every modern convenience can be found, but in a fun rustic, camp sort of way. Crafted with whimsical features and mountain charm, the cottages were designed and built by George. It took a hard working crew along with the Ford family 15 months to build the structures. The houses were crafted with materials right from the property. During the winter of 2006, hundreds of tons of stone were gathered from the mountain side. Beautiful rocks stacked by the Eldreth family during the mid 1800's were harvested from abandoned pastures where cattle once grazed. Locust logs are commonly used as everlasting fence posts. These almost petrified timbers were dragged up the mountainside and placed as trusses supporting the porches. The hardwood floors are also locust as is much of the trim work. Our homes use Energy Star products and were built Green using resource-efficient materials and construction practices.

The new event venue at the pond is named the Pascova. Pascova is a native American word meaning gathering place of fire and dance. It was constructed in 2013-2014. It is crafted from natural rock and locust timbers gathered from the property. Our guests are welcome to enjoy this facility and it is available to rent for weddings and parties.


The Cabins For Rent at On The Windfall

Cabin - Granpy Aut Cabin - Granny Mandy Cabin - The Barn