On a ledge overlooking an abandoned limestone quarry, Pam Underhill has fashioned a natural private sanctuary that seems to have sprung organically from the land around it. In many ways, it has.

Pam’s house sits on eleven acres near Harpers Ferry. The home perches above a three-and-a-half acre abandoned limestone quarry. Since the quarry was abandoned in the 1930s it has become a lovely 30-foot deep lake. The still blue-green water is clear and cold, and reflects the clouds passing overhead.

“I must have done something good in a prior life to have been given the opportunity to take care of this oasis,” says Pam. Indeed her home is an extension of her professional life, which is grounded in the land. Pam is the superintendent of the Appalachian Trail, a trail corridor stretching from Georgia to Maine. Part of Pam’s job is to work with landowners and communities to preserve lands along the AT. She views her role at home as a steward of the land as well. Pam’s home is the natural extension of her interest in nature, land conservation, and the essential goodness of local materials.

 

She purchased the land in 1997, and spent over a year camping on the property and walking the land to try to find the best location for her home. New Hampshire-based timber frame architect Andrea Warchaizer recommended the rocky location overlooking the quarry. “It was one of her most important contributions,” says Pam. After Warchaizer recommended the location, Pam set up camp in the location where her bedroom would be located. “I’ll never forget that night. A giant orange harvest moon rose up over the quarry. It was spectacular.”

Siting the home was only the first step in the journey to her dream home. Erecting the post-and-beam structure required friends and family. Construction began in May 1999, when four timber framers arrived and set up camp on the property. They camped there for four months as they cut the timbers.

Pam had built houses before, but this was her first timber frame experience. She fell in love with timber frame construction when she began dating a timber framer. The relationship ended; her love affair with timber frame homes continued. Timber frame construction relies on natural logs to create a building’s structures. There are no nails in the frame of Pam’s home--only pegs.
The wood is local. She bought red and white oak from a sawmill in Keedysville. The massive black walnut crossbeams were harvested from the property. The exposed beams create a natural connection between the natural world and the inside living space. “Timber frame is so honest,” says Pam.

When the frames were ready, friends and family joined Pam and the timber framers as they erected the skeleton of her home. The excitement created a party atmosphere. To commemorate the event, t-shirts were printed that said, “A Timeless Reflection; A Quarry Erection.”

She moved in in 2000. The open floor plan, with two bedrooms and a sleeping loft, ideally suits her. “It’s a great party house!” says Pam. For quiet contemplation, nothing beats the screened-in porch overlooking the quarry, where Pam can be found most spring and summer mornings with her cup of coffee.

While Pam cherishes her home and land because of its privacy, in 2003, Pam deeded an acre of land to her daughter so she and her family could build a home nearby. The deal has had the expected benefits for this doting grandmother. Her four grandsons visit regularly, and, in the summer, can be seen canoeing and splashing in the shallow waters of the rocky beach Pam created on the edge of the quarry.

Pam jokes that for the first few years she lived in the home, she didn’t even want to take a summer vacation to the beach. “Why go to the beach when I live in such a remarkable spot?” says Pam.