Ridgeview Valley at Deep Creek Lake
In the last decade, Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County has lured many vacationers to Wisp Resort, the only four-season ski, golf, and recreational destination in Maryland. The area sits at an average altitude of 2,461 feet and covers an area of approximately 3,900 acres. The residential properties are mainly used as second homes, but there are people who call Deep Creek Lake home all year round.
Deep Creek Lake was created in 1923 to fulfill a need for electric power and spans about 13 miles long with 69 miles of shoreline. “During the construction of the hydroelectric lake, many people from Pittsburgh came to work in the area and lived in modest homes made of logs or cement,” explains Ed King, a local real estate agent, historian, and longtime resident of Deep Creek for over 27 years.
Many of these workers lived with no heat or air conditioning. “They moved their families to the lake at Memorial Day and stayed the entire summer while their fathers would commute from Pittsburgh or other nearby cities. These summer cottages were not designed for year-round living,” says Phil Silkey, AIA, a practicing architect for 43 years, of which 20 years have been spent in Deep Creek.
Two major structural improvements opened up Deep Creek Lake to a larger audience. In the 1970s, Interstate 68 opened up the area for visitors from Washington, DC and in 1984, a public sewer was installed. By the 1990s, Wisp Resort was given permission to draw water from the lake to make snow, which bolstered interest in the area year round. Along with two 18-hole golf courses and summer recreation that includes wake boarding, sailing, water skiing, and fishing, Deep Creek became a highly desirable destination.
Most of the modest homes built in the 1920s have now been converted into luxurious full-time homes or summer rentals. “In the affluent 1980s, the economy was booming and lakefront properties began to escalate. Most of the homes are rustic contemporary along the lines of a lodge Adirondacks-style,” says Silkey. “By the 1990s, Deep Creek Lake had townhouse and condominium communities with the same look as the renovated cottages. They typically have timber framing, cedar siding, gabled roofs, and exposed stone elements of the lodge style,” adds Silkey.
Silkey notices that many of the people who bought properties at Deep Creek Lake as second homes in the 1980s are now retiring in the area. “The reason Deep Creek Lake is a great place to live is that we have a four-season resort that is five minutes away. At the top of Wisp, Adventure Sports Center International (ASCI) just completed a white water rafting course and there are state parks and all types of wildlife here. The weather is also 10 degrees different here, so when it is 90 degrees in Baltimore, it’s only 80 degrees here,” says Silkey.
To accommodate all the new growth and vacation traffic, Deep Creek has multiple restaurants, shopping, and of course, all the recreational activities that the lake has to offer.
PRICE COMPARISON OF DEEP CREEK LAKE
This 2003 Contemporary style home has five bedrooms, five full and one half baths, a total square footage of 5,800, and is situated on .52 acres. It is an active listing with an asking price of $1,150,000. Listing Agent: Bradley J. Nesline/ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. (301-387-4700)*
This 2006 Contemporary style home has five bedrooms, five full baths, a total square footage of 3,960 and is situated on 1.10 acres. It is an active listing with an asking price of $990,000. Listing Agent: Betsy Holcomb/ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. (301-387-4700)*
This 2006 Contemporary style home has five bedrooms, six full and one half baths, a total square footage of 3,936 and is situated on .38 acres. It is an active listing with an asking price of $749,000. Listing Agent: Betsy Holcomb/ Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. (301-387-4700)*
*The status of all listings was current at time of publication.
Jennifer K. Dansicker is the special projects editor of Chesapeake Home + Living.
Contact:
Philip Silkey Architect LLC, AIA: 301-387-6117
Ed King: ilovedeepcreeklake.com or 301-387-4700
Resource:
ASCI: adventuresportcenter.com or 301-387-3250
Wisp Resort: wispresort.com or 301-387-4000
