Barney Brown & Antonia Albano, purchased this 250 acre property in 2003/04. Both Barney and Antonia have had life long interests in the arts, music, business, healing arts and the natural environment, experiencing life as an integrated whole. Within months of their meeting, they opened and co-operated a holistic center just north of San Francisco, renting to 10-14 health care practitioners, while calling that 'home base' for their private practices. This California holistic approach to life certainly lent itself to what they have created in Virginia. 

Barney has brought a lifetime of entrepreneurial pursuits, love of meditative practice, philosophy, physics and a spiritually centered life to this retreat center. With a background in real estate, farming, financial consulting and spiritual practice, this land and vision were a perfect match and his expertise has been invaluable. Even when Barney is immersed in his painting studio or his vegetable garden at the farm, the 'camel tetherer' has kept everyone together and headed in the same direction. 

Antonia has brought her visionary enthusiasm, love of music, the natural environment, creative expression, decades of design related business and national sales management background to this endeavor. She is the creator of the modern day hilltop labyrinth “the Grace Walk ...the Golden Living Prayer” labyrinth, the family of sculptures called the Geometries of Love, the annual 20 year Celebration of Love events and the multi-tiered meditation garden, Jardin d'OrPhi. Antonia also has enjoyed Heartstone Lodge as a teaching base for her annual intensive called 'On the Edge of Time ...birthing the extraordinary evolutionary human'.  

In 2024 Barney & Antonia chose to restructure the use of their beloved property, maintaining the integrity, yet opening to an evolving vision, freeing each of them to pursue the many pursuits that have been calling for their more full attention. This is an exciting adventure for both partners, as the restructuring will open to more focus on sacred events i.e. weddings, rehearsal dinners, retreats of all types including yoga and meditations, women's and men's groups, university faculty meetings & community events. The log cabins have been returned to long term rentals. A new adventure and creation unfolds. A new volume opens. Stay tuned :)