Ligonier Township property listed at $1.45 million was inspired by builder’s dream
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Builder Joseph Minyon said the idea for the 12,000-square-foot, chateau-inspired home he built in Ligonier Township came to him in a dream.
“I saw a bird in flight with wings outstretched — I’m not sure what kind of bird it was, but I’ll say it was an eagle,” he said. “If you look at an aerial (view) of the house, to me, it’s a bird in flight.”
Completed in 1998, the home, situated on a 4-acre hillside property at 2937 Route 381 is listed for sale at $1.45 million.
The front doors open to a large foyer with a large chandelier and stone fireplace, off of which are a commercially equipped kitchen, large dining room, office or gathering space and a separate living suite. The first-floor suite includes a handicapped-accessible full bath.
A double staircase leads to a second-floor gallery with access to more living suites, each equipped with a full kitchen or kitchenette. The bedroom in the master suite features a wood-burning stove and spa tub.
Other gathering rooms are situated on the first floor and walk-out lower level.
In total, the home has seven bedrooms, seven full baths and three half-baths.
“We first were planning it as a (bed and breakfast) and a cooking school, because I love to cook,” said Minyon, the retired owner of Minyon Construction, who lives in White Oak. “I wanted it to be fun for everyone.”
The specialty property would be perfect for someone interested in operating a B&B, Airbnb or even a restaurant, said Tracey Pelesky, listing agent for Loyalhanna Realty in Ligonier. All of those would be allowed under the property’s agricultural zoning.
“With the commercial kitchen, you’re already on your way to starting a business,” said Lisa Cairns, also a Loyalhanna Realty listing agent for the property.
The home has a sauna room that features a glass-fronted, walk-in humidor. An exercise room is outfitted with a large hot tub and steam shower, along with antique wooden beams from an old Ligonier Township barn.
At the back of the home is a wooden deck suitable for large gatherings, which Cairns noted could be expanded in tiers going up the hillside.
Other special features include a wine cellar, wood-fired outdoor oven, plaster walls and ceilings, wormy oak flooring and trim, hand-carved spindles on the staircase and railings, Italian ceramic tile floors, an intercom system, security system, built-in vacuum and several fireplaces and wood-burning stoves.
“Everywhere you look, there’s storage. All the nooks and crannies have been turned into storage space,” Cairns said.
The exterior is faced with 450 tons of stone, most of which came from the nearby mountain ridges.
The house was built to be energy efficient, Minyon said, with above-code insulation, large southwest-facing windows for passive solar heat and a zoned geothermal heating and cooling system.
The geothermal system consists of electric-powered heat pumps connected to piping buried deep underground, where the temperature stays about 52 degrees year-round. Water and biodegradable antifreeze circulate in an underground pipe loop that brings warmth up via the heat pumps. In cooling mode, the pumps use the pipes to carry heat out of the house and back into the earth.
“Joe was really ahead of his time when he built this place,” Pelesky said.
So novel was the system at the time it was built — and in its location, Minyon said that it got news coverage worldwide, including a 1998 Associated Press story.
“A friend of mine was on vacation in Germany, and he saw it on the TV news,” he said.
The property has a water well and septic system, so the electric bill “which is not even $400 a month” is the only paid utility, Pelesky said.
Minyon said he built the home for about $1 million. He and his former wife lived in it until 2003, when it was sold to the current owner.
“We built it with our own resources; we never had a mortgage. My whole life was tied up in it,” he said.
“It’s a tribute to the working-class individual. I don’t have a college degree; I went to vocational school and studied architectural drafting,” he said. “No one ever worked for me, they worked with me — and we poured our heart and soul into that house.”
For more information on the property, call Pelesky at 724-238-3663 or visit loyalhannarealty.com.