Ex-Steelers tight end Vance McDonald's Ligonier-area retreat lists for $5.5 million

Feb. 10—When former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Vance McDonald and his wife, Kendi, were hunting for a place to live and also to serve visitors as a spiritual retreat, they thought they'd found a little piece of heaven on earth in Ligonier Township.

"Kendi and I are both Christians, and we felt God's presence in the place," McDonald said. "The first moment that we walked on the property, we just felt an overwhelming peace and serenity. It took our breath away."

The McDonalds purchased the property in summer 2019. They lived there with their three children for 3 1/2 years before family considerations took them back to Kendi's native Oklahoma.

The 133-acre property at 641 Hidden Meadow Lane, in the shadow of the Chestnut Ridge, is listed for sale at $5.5 million.

The jewel in the crown is a 17,000-square-foot, three-level dwelling with five bedroom suites, a commercial-grade chef's kitchen, multiple living and dining spaces, sunroom, library, theater, gymnasium, sauna and wine cellar with tasting room.

And that's just the beginning.

"The infrastructure is just over the top. It's way beyond what you'll find in any luxury home in the area," said listing agent Elaine Shetler-Libent, founder of the Land Luxury Pro Team, Powered by Keller Williams Pittsburgh South & KW Luxury International/KW Land.

The house has a natural gas/hot water heating system, along with air conditioning, security and fire suppression systems and a panic room with a Fort Knox door.

There is covered parking for 12 vehicles, along with heated courtyard, stairs and porch.

The property also features a swimming pool with pool house; formal gardens; equestrian facility with stable and indoor and outdoor arenas; fenced garden with 132 raised beds and a garden shed; equipment building; two three-bedroom caretaker houses; chicken coop; a stream and a pond with a sand beach.

About 25 acres of cleared land, including hay fields, are surrounded by 108 wooded acres. Three miles of trails can accommodate hikers, horses and ATV riders.

Continuity and flow

The McDonalds undertook extensive renovations in the main house.

"It was very Victorian. There were a lot of unique rooms with their own themes, wallpapers and colors," Vance McDonald said. "We sort of scrapped that and tied the whole house together."

That included removing some interior walls, laying walnut flooring in the first-floor common areas, painting walls a light gray and installing coordinating light fixtures and chandeliers.

"My wife was the visionary behind it all," McDonald said. "She has a real vision for turning spaces into something beautiful."

Though the house is large, those common elements give it "great continuity and flow," Shetler-Libent said.

McDonald said he and his wife spent a lot of time in the sunroom.

"It's constantly filled with natural light, and we had four simple white chairs around a coffee table," he said. "The floors and table were white marble, and at one point, there were probably over 40 plants in that room.

"We would play relaxing music and disappear into a book or prayer and worship."

Their daughter had a pink bedroom with princess bed, tea party corner and gold-and-crystal chandelier. Their two sons had platform beds, a slide and a ball pit.

"Their room was a ton of fun," McDonald said. "More times than not, throughout the week, all three kids and I would be in there wrestling on a giant bean bag."

Another playful element, courtesy of the original owner, is a circular "hobbit door" between the second-floor hallway and office. It's built of mahogany with wrought-iron hardware.

Furnishings and exercise equipment that remain in the house can be purchased with the property, Shetler-Libent said.

There also are two resident barn cats and the rescue donkeys, Mary and Martha.

"We definitely would like to keep them there. I think they love it, and they have tons of space to roam around," McDonald said.

Amidst the property's rolling acres, there actually is a hidden meadow that inspired its name, Shetler-Libent said.

The fenced garden area is "a little garden of Eden," she added.

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"In 2021, it was our first year to ever garden anything, and we were like, 'OK, we're starting off with 132 raised beds,'" McDonald said. "We had something growing in every one of those beds. You'd walk through it and be surrounded by flowers, fruits and vegetables, herbs.

"Of course, it was hard work, but it was so worth it."

The garden was a microcosm of his vision for a retreat center, which never came to fruition.

"I wanted to build a place that would strip anyone of anything that was keeping them from experiencing the glory of God," he said. "I wanted to build a place where, as soon as you walked through the gates, you'd say, 'This place is beautiful and I can clearly see the beauty of God's creation.' "

For more information or to arrange a tour of the property, contact Shetler-Libent at 412-831-3800 or 724-681-0412 or visit kw.com.

Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter .