Keywords: Corton Lodge, West Virginia lodging, church restoration, healing through Parkinson’s, places to relax in West Virginia, reconnect with nature, faith-based travel, West Virginia mountain retreat
A Place That Found Me
People often ask me why I took on this project—why I chose to restore a crumbling, 100-year-old church tucked away in the mountains of West Virginia.
Here’s the story.
There are decisions you make with logic, and there are decisions you make with your heart. This was the latter.
It didn’t make any sense on paper whatsoever. It was going to be a massive undertaking. And if you had asked me a year earlier—“Do you think you’ll be restoring an old church in Clendenin, West Virginia?”—I would’ve laughed out loud. It was nowhere on my radar.
At the time, my life was shifting dramatically.
I was 49 years old, three years into a Parkinson’s diagnosis that had already pushed me to step away from my career in software and technology. Everything I thought I’d be doing… was no longer possible.
Around that same time, something unexpected happened: I reconnected with Aimee—my high school girlfriend. We hadn’t seen each other in 28 years, and now here we were, starting a new chapter together, two states away from my home in North Carolina, standing in her hometown of Clendenin, WV.
And then I stumbled across the church.
It was empty. Forgotten. Broken.
But I saw something in it—life. Light pouring through the old dirty windows. I didn’t know how or why, but I felt it deeply.
It wasn’t just a renovation.
It was a resurrection.
The River Behind the Church
A few days later, Aimee took me down the walking trail behind the church to the Elk River. She brought her friend Lindsay along, and we waded into the water.
A black 1970s Chevy truck was parked right in the river—backed in like it belonged there. I didn’t know it yet, but the man driving it, Homer, would soon become part of the story too.
The current was calm, the air still. The hills quiet.
And for the first time in a long time, my mind slowed down enough to breathe.
I didn’t need to understand it. I just knew:
This place was meant to be part of my story.
A Creek, a Flood, and a Chance Conversation
Ironically, I didn’t even know who owned the church—or if it was even for sale.
That changed when some large trees on the neighboring property fell into the creek beside Aimee’s house. The blockage caused the water to flood the road, pour down her driveway, and into her garage.
To get it resolved, I called the owner of the land across the street. His name was Jeff.
After we talked about the trees and the flooding, I casually asked what his plans were for the land. He said it might be time to sell—it had been in his family for decades, but the moment felt right.
Later that day, I looked up the property.
That’s when I realized: the church was part of it.
The building that had been pulling at me for weeks… was sitting quietly on 230 acres that Jeff was ready to sell.
From Curiosity to Commitment
Jeff and I negotiated quickly. It was respectful, simple, and clear.
We settled on a price and a timeframe. The sale would close in September of 2024.
What started as curiosity had become a commitment.
I still didn’t know exactly what I’d do with it—but I knew I had to do something.
Something in me needed rebuilding. And now I had the place to do it.
Finding the Mission
Even after the deal was done, I didn’t have a firm plan.
Maybe I’d restore it and find a local pastor to reopen the church. Maybe I’d turn it into a wedding venue. That seemed like the obvious route.
But then I spent more time here—on the trails, in the water, watching the sun slip behind the hills.
And something deeper surfaced.
I realized how much I love West Virginia.
How deeply these mountains speak to my soul.
I realized I wanted to create a place where people could come here—not just to see it, but to feel it. To slow down. To breathe. To reconnect with something bigger than themselves.
That became the mission:
- Build a place that brings people to West Virginia.
- Build a place where they can find peace.
- Build a place where their soul can catch up.
- Build a place for people to reconnect with God’s creation.
That’s what Corton Lodge was meant to be.
Not just restored—but reborn.
Built on Gratitude
Corton Lodge was built during a season of personal change and surrender.
It became my answer to a diagnosis, my response to uncertainty, and a gift back to the land I love. It was built on faith, friendship, hard work, and more gratitude than I can explain.
If you’ve been searching for a place to breathe again
To step out of the hustle
To reconnect with nature, peace, and maybe even with yourself
I hope you’ll come visit Corton Lodge.
📍 Clendenin, West Virginia
🌲 230 acres of mountains, forest, and river access
🌐 www.cortonlodge.com
📸 #CortonLodge #WestVirginiaRetreat #BuiltOnGratitude #GetAwayToWV
