New log home business sets up shop in Augusta County
STAUNTON — Phillip Brown, a local builder, wasn't necessarily looking to add to his portfolio of businesses last year when he was approached about purchasing a couple of Augusta County properties.
But after negotiations, Brown and co-owner Danny Owen opted to move forward in October and bought the land and a log model home at 3038 Lee Jackson Highway, along with a mill in Greenville.
With that, Eagle Point Log Homes was born.
Eagle Point is located on Lee Jackson Highway at the former site of Blue Ridge Log Homes. Brown, who now owns five companies, wanted it made clear that he purchased only the property, not the former business that was once housed there. Brown said he and Owen are the fourth owners of the log cabin structure at the site on Lee Jackson Highway.
Brown, who has been in the construction business for 25 years, said the new log cabin venture will sell log cabin kits, and said wood for the homes will be made in-house at the refurbished mill in Greenville. He said Eagle Point's setup is unique in that many companies in the log home business have the kits made elsewhere, which are then shipped.
"You can come to my mill and you can see it done," Brown said. Eastern white pine is the wood Eagle Point uses in its log cabins, which Brown said offers less shrinkage than other pines.
Recently, Brown said he sold 16 log cabin kits in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Eagle Point Log Homes will also build speculative homes as well, according to Brown. " I build it, you come in and buy what I have built," he said.
Brown, who is also owner of George Owen Construction in Staunton, said interest in log cabins shot up during the pandemic. "Country living itself got a boost during the pandemic," he noted.
Brown said he hopes to build more models like the one he has on Lee Jackson Highway. At the model in Staunton, improvements were made to the landscaping, decking, gutters, bathrooms, flooring, lighting, cabinets and signage. The parking lot will be paved as well.
"We've done just about a complete overhaul," Brown said. "It looks really good."
About a half-dozen people will be employed at the new business.
The grand opening is scheduled for May 6, a Saturday. For more information, visit www.eaglepointloghomes.com.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: New log home business sets up shop in Augusta County
