Far out in the quiet country near Gaston, a small Lexington County town, a vineyard property that has welcomed visitors for twenty years is now being handed to someone new. Its owners, having given two decades to tending the grounds and the guests who came to rest among the vines and old trees, are stepping back, and the place goes on the market at $1.15 million. It is a familiar passage in the life of land: a stewardship ends so that another might begin, and the question of what the acreage will become rests, as it always does, with whoever is willing to take it up.
Rural Gaston Airbnb Property With Vineyard and Four Structures Lists for $1.15 Million
Nearly 10 acres, a vineyard, and a log cabin, for $1.15 million
Mark
So what exactly is for sale here?
Mimi
Nearly 10 acres at 601 Mack St. near Gaston, with a vineyard, a four-bedroom Lodge where the owners live, and three two-bedroom rentals. The ask is $1.15 million.
Mark
Why would anyone drive out there?
Mimi
Congaree National Park is about 35 minutes away, with old-growth forest and the fireflies. Guests want to unplug, and the property leans into that.
Luke
The ratings are 4.9 out of 5. Is that independent evidence?
Mimi
It's from Airbnb guests, so it's real reviews, but it's the listing agent who tells us how strong the market is.
Luke
Right. And she owns an Airbnb herself and is selling this. Nothing in the reporting gives revenue or occupancy figures.
Mark
So the business case is unproven in numbers?
Mimi
Publicly, yes. We know the track record is reviews, not income.
Luke
Same with her suggestion that rentals plus events is the best use. That's her opinion, not a finding.
Mark
Why are they selling?
Mimi
After two decades, the owners are retiring.
Luke
We don't know who's likely to buy or how long it may sit on the market.
Il Polso
- A 9.84-acre vineyard near Gaston is up for sale at $1.15 million as its longtime owners retire after two decades.
- Three short-term rentals rated 4.9 out of 5 on Airbnb now face an uncertain future as the property changes hands.
- Buyers must weigh the pull of Congaree National Park, about 35 minutes away, against the property's appeal as an event and retreat venue.
- The listing agent sees possibilities ranging from a family compound and investment to weddings, business retreats, and boutique stays.
- The next owner will decide whether the guest book continues as it is or the grounds shift toward hosting events.
Far out in the quiet country near Gaston, a small Lexington County town, a vineyard property that has welcomed visitors for twenty years is now being handed to someone new. Its owners, having given two decades to tending the grounds and the guests who came to rest among the vines and old trees, are stepping back, and the place goes on the market at $1.15 million. It is a familiar passage in the life of land: a stewardship ends so that another might begin, and the question of what the acreage will become rests, as it always does, with whoever is willing to take it up.
Guests keep writing to say the same thing about Congaree Vines: it is peaceful, cozy, and a place to disconnect. They come from Colorado, Miami, the South Carolina coast, and Washington state, all drawn to a rural outpost at 601 Mack St. near Gaston, in Lexington County.
The property spans 9.84 acres with a vineyard and four separate structures, three of which operate as short-term rentals. The owners have run it for two decades and are now retiring. Marcie Barfield of CENTURY 21 803 Realty has listed it at $1.15 million. She describes a place so secluded that a visitor blindfolded in its center would have no idea where they were.
Much of its draw is Congaree National Park, roughly 35 minutes away, with its ancient, towering trees and firefly displays. The owners add small touches, like offering guests over 21 a taste of port made on site. Their own home, the Lodge, has four bedrooms and a cathedral ceiling of knotty wood, while the rentals include a converted horse barn, a log cabin, and a brick cottage with a loft reached by a spiral staircase. Every rental holds a 4.9 rating.
Barfield sees several futures for the land: a family compound, an investment, a boutique retreat, or an event venue. Her own preference is to keep the rentals running and host weddings and retreats on the meadow. What happens next depends on the buyer, and on whether they keep the guest book as it is or turn the grounds toward gatherings.
The reviews on Airbnb arrive one after another, and they come from everywhere: a visitor from Colorado who called the place a comfy and cozy refuge, a guest from Miami who praised it as somewhere to disconnect and unwind, others from the South Carolina coast and as far away as Washington state. All of them are writing about the same rural outpost near Gaston, a small town in Lexington County.
That outpost is Congaree Vines, a 9.84-acre property at 601 Mack St. with a vineyard and four separate structures. Three of the four have operated as short-term rentals. The owners have run the place for two decades and are now retiring, and the property has been listed at $1.15 million by Marcie Barfield, an agent with CENTURY 21 803 Realty.
Barfield describes a place that surprises people. If you were taken to the middle of the property and a blindfold were removed, she said, you would have no idea where you were. It is peaceful and quiet back there. The lodgings are rustic, one of them literally a log cabin, and they cater mostly to guests who want to unplug or to visit nearby Congaree National Park, which is roughly 35 minutes away.
The park is a large part of the draw. It holds some of the oldest and tallest trees in the eastern United States, including several champions recognized as the largest of their species, along with an annual fireflies display and the chance to hike or paddle through old-growth forest. Barfield said the park has driven much of the interest in the property. Many guests are outdoor enthusiasts, and the location keeps them close to Columbia while feeling like the middle of a forest. The owners add personal touches too, such as offering guests over 21 a sample of port wine made on the premises.
The largest structure is the Lodge, which the owners have used as their primary residence. It has four bedrooms and 1,785 square feet. Its plain exterior gives way to floor-to-ceiling woodwork inside: knotty wood planks rising to a cathedral ceiling with exposed beams, and a book-lined loft at the top of the staircase.
The three rentals are the Barn Bungalow, the Log Cabin Cottage and the Woodland Cottage, each with two bedrooms. The Barn Bungalow was built from a former horse barn and has an exterior brick patio, with quartz countertops and a farm sink inside. The Log Cabin Cottage has rough-hewn log walls and exposed wood ceiling beams. The Woodland Cottage has brick walls and a tall slate gabled roof, and inside, a spiral staircase leads to a loft bedroom. The grounds also include outdoor sitting areas, a hammock and firepit, a meadow for weddings and other events, and walking trails through the vineyard and countryside.
All three rentals carry a 4.9 out of 5 guest rating on Airbnb. One guest from Tampa, Florida, wrote that it was peaceful, cozy and relaxing, exactly what they were looking for.
Barfield, who owns an Airbnb property herself, said there is a market for short-term rentals with an established record of success. But she sees other uses for nearly 10 acres: a family compound, an investment property, a boutique retreat or an event venue. Her own view is that the most benefit would come from keeping it as a short-term rental and event space, hosting weddings and business retreats with lodging for guests on site. There is room, she added, for guests to bring self-contained travel trailers.
What happens next depends on who buys it, and whether they keep the guest book going as it is or lean harder into the event side.
Citazioni salienti
The park has really driven so much interest in the property.— Marcie Barfield, CENTURY 21 803 Realty
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