Laurel Fork Farm belonged the Nestor family for generations. The last owner, Alvey, never used tractors and plowed with a pair of oxen. We honored that tradition and much of the land was cleared by hand for the housing site and some for pasture. 

Alvey and his family lived in a cottage next to Tory Creek, which was their water source. Alvey made his living by farming and plowing gardens for his neighbors. 

There is a rich history and lore of this corner of the Blue Ridge in the book The Man Who Moved The Mountain by Richard C. Davids, about Reverend Bob Childress, who led the construction of several stone churches in the area, entreating local parishioners in this wild country to build them with stone harvested from the land. These churches still stand as a testement to his ministry.