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The Horsfall House

Solo Acoustic Guitar  ‐  Jason Shaw

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The Horsfall House

If you lead a wired existence, it will stop when you arrive in Randle. We like to call it “digital detox!”

This beautifully restored 1910 farmhouse on 22 acres in Randle, Washington is situated between Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams, about two hours from Seattle.

You will find a welcoming atmosphere and peaceful setting. There is no phone, no cable, no broadband, no wi-fi and no satellite dish. There is a television with a DVD player and a video player. There are old videos and board games. There is limited cell phone reception.

Live the slow life in the comfort of a real homestead. Randle has a full kitchen with stove, oven, dishwasher, microwave, coffee maker, toaster oven and refrigerator. Inside the cupboards and drawers you will find most of the things you would need to create special meals with family and friends.

Basic house supplies like paper towels, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, baggies, garbage bags, dishwashing soap, cleaning products and bathroom tissue are supplied.

The kitchen nook is great place to have coffee and catch the early light. Or you can sit out on the porch and listen to the cows lowing in the pasture below, or maybe see a herd of elk.

You’ll find a comfortable old-fashioned claw-foot tub with a shower, sink and toilet in the bathroom. Fluffy towels are there for you to use, as well as shampoo, soap and a hair dryer.

The living room has a cozy wood stove. There is usually a supply of firewood for you to build an indoor fire. You’re welcome to forage for firewood on the trails on the property, or pick up a bundle at the local store if the supply at the house runs low. You’ll find folding chairs to use around the campfire.

Though the house has heat and a fireplace, it can be cold during the winter, so auxiliary space heaters are available. Likewise, it can be warm during the summer, so we provide fans and window screens to circulate the air.

The Horsfall House is a family home furnished with antiques and personal possessions. It’s not a hotel chain. It offers a unique experience that we hope you'll enjoy. Click to book now.

Breakfast nook

Close up of breakfast nook, an original feature of the house.

View of porch and valley

Oblique view of the porch facing the Big Bottom Valley.

Toward the meadow

Wild flowers in bloom

Twin beds

Eastlake-style vintage beds

House seen from the hill side

Twenty one acres to wander and explore

View into the dining room

Original built-in hutch contains dishes and glassware; below find garbage bags and miscellaneous supplies.

Still life

Living room is appointed with personal artifacts including a vintage rotary phone

Bedroom, Main Floor

Double bed; Craftsman-style headboard

Day bed

Tiny bedroom with a day bed

Kitchen View 1

Oven, stove, coffee maker; drawers and cabinets with pots, pans, utensils, cooking tools

Dining room

View from living room into the dining area

Living Room

View into the living room from the dining area. River rock fireplace built by area stone mason.

Master bedroom

Antique rope bed from the 1800s

Stick bed

Top of the stairs on the left, custom stick bed made by David, from trees on the property

Kitchen view 4

Looking toward the refrigerator, antique stove used as furniture; toaster oven, antique wall phone and other vintage appointments are not functional.

Living Room sofa bed

Queen-size sofa bed will sleep two in a pinch

Bathroom

Enjoy a soak in the claw foot tub, or take a shower. Toilet and sink; bathroom amenities.

Master bedroom

Alternate view

Evening camp fire

The fire pit is ideal for gathering in the evenings. Outdoor folding chairs can be found in one of the closets in the main floor bedroom

Kitchen view 2

Dishwasher, microwave, breakfast nook

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About the Area

There are many places nearby to explore, or where you can relax, read, or simply take a nap. The mown meadows around the house can be used for rustic games of croquet, horseshoes or bocce ball. There is a trail to wander through the surrounding treed land. You can build a fire in the fire pit and grill hot dogs or roast marshmallows for smores.

During fishing season, there are creeks, lakes and a nearby dam where you can fish for trout. During the late summer and fall you can forage for huckleberries, blackberries, salmonberries, or ripened apples, walnuts, plums and cherries. If you are knowlegable, there are morel, chanterelle and matsutake mushrooms in the nearby Gifford Pinchot forest during the late spring and autumn.

Randle is located 25 minutes from White Pass and makes a great base for ski weekends during the winter. A herd of Roosevelt elk uses our land to get to and from the valley below for feeding and water, so it’s not unusual to spot them. There are also friendly deer who frequently come to visit.

At dusk you might see bats catching insects.

At night it is so dark, you get an excellent view of millions of stars, and in the late summer, you can view the Perseid meteor showers.

Twinkle Twinkle  ‐  David Mumford

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  • Starry skies
  • Parking
  • Carbon monoxide monitor
  • Basic supplies
  • Outdoor fire pit
  • Television
  • Smoke Alarms
  • Extra linens, if needed
  • Tea pot & coffee maker
  • Full kitchen
  • Auxiliary fans | heaters
  • Toiletries | hair dryer

    1. Snowy day

      Waking up to a snowy day at The Horsfall House

    2. Enclosed porch

      The screened-in porch helps keep insects out, and is a great place to store wet boots and shoes

    3. Kitchen View 1

      The kitchen has all the basic appliances you might need

    4. Kitchen, view 2

      Looking forward to the breakfast nook on the right wall is a magazine rack with vintage publications, including a New Yorker with a cartoon signed by the artist. (The artist and her family were staying at the house, discovered the magazine, and signed it

    5. View from the front porch

      In the “Big Bottom Valley,” you might see cows or a herd of Roosevelt elk. If you call out to the cows and shout “Moo,” there will be a delayed reaction before they turn their heads toward you in unison

    6. Kitchen view 3

      A close-up on the breakfast nook

    7. Kitchen view 4

      Looking toward the right wall as you enter from the kitchen porch, you’ll see artifacts from bygone days

    8. View into the dining room

      Looking from the kitchen into the dining room, on the left you’ll find a built-in hutch with dishes and glasses. The dining table opens to seat up to eight people, and a small second table seats two

    9. View across the Big Bottom Valley

      At the peak of summer the field is covered with hay, which is harvested and baled in the early fall
      10. Show More

    1. View into the dining room

      The main dining table comfortably seats eight, and the small adjacent table seats two

    2. Walnut tree

      This very old walnut tree is still standing after many decades. We’ve harvested walnuts when we’ve been lucky enough to get them before the local squirrels

    3. View into the living room

      The river rock fireplace was built by a local stone mason. The couch converts into a queen-sized sleeper sofa. The oar above the doorway is a tribute to “Mrs. Orr,” one of the early inhabitants. We believe her spirit resides there and watches over The Horsfall House

    4. Still life

      The vintage phone doesn’t work, and harkens back to an earlier time. One of our nephews had never seen a rotary dial

    5. Living room 2

      Looking out the divided light windows toward the valley below

    6. Bathroom

      There is one bathroom at the Horsfall House. Tiles are from Ann Sacks in Seattle. The claw foot tub has been retrofitted with a brass shower and white curtain
      7. Show More

    1. Path

      The simple path in the surrounding woods are used by deer and elk who pass through the property. You’re welcome to forage for fallen wood, branches and kindling for the outdoor fires

    2. Stairwell

      Currently there are four bedrooms upstairs containing a single daybed; two rooms with double beds, and a room with two twin beds

    3. Porch view at dusk

      Oblique view of the porch as it looks toward the valley

    4. Pirate hanger

      A gift from a “Highline Pirate”

    5. Downstairs bedroom

      The only bedroom on the main floor. Two closets contain outdoor chairs, a vacuum, horseshoes and back-up linens

    6. Downstairs bedroom, view 2

      Alternative view of the downstairs bedroom
      7. Show More

    1. Day bed

      A small day bed occupies a tiny bedroom at the top of the stairs

    2. Stick bed

      The room contains a double bed, chair and closet and a stick bed, made by David

    3. Master bedroom

      Features a love seat, an antique double “rope bed,” from the 1800s, antique fly rods and artifacts, and photo of Mount Rainer shot by Seattle photographer, Fred Milkie, Jr

    4. Twin beds

      A pair of matching “Eastlake” style antique beds, ideal for kids

    5. The fire pit

      Make a fire and watch the stars. Find folding chairs in the downstairs bedroom to take outside and enjoy the outdoors

    6. Snow in the Big Bottom Valley

      Few things are more beautiful than the sun setting against the profile of the hiils. The only thing prettier is when everything is covered in snow

Mockingbird Instrumental  ‐  David Mumford

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If you have any questions, please contact us via email or telephone and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Area Map

Area Map

Location [X-Y Coordinates]

46.510312, -121.929548 — Randle, WA 98377
Activity Icons

Nearby hiking and winter activities

If you need suggestions for outdoor adventures, we recommend contacting the COWLITZ VALLEY RANGER STATION: Gifford Pinchot National Forest 10024 U.S. Hwy 12, POB 670, Randle, WA 98377 360.497.1100
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Why “Better” Matters Especially When it Comes to Creating Memories Abandoned after the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1981, our Randle home sat empty for a decade before we rescued it in 1991. It was a falling-down wreck when we bought it—so decrepit it wasn’t even included in the valuation of the property. The porches had fallen down, the foundation had slipped, and only the moss kept the roof intact. Despite that, our family and friends enjoyed long weekends in this idyllic getaway two hours from Seattle. Some of our best times were when it was still just a “stationary tent,” with no doors, windows, electricity, running water or indoor plumbing. We hauled water until we hired a water witcher and ended up drilling a 165-foot-deep well. We cooked on the campfire, used Coleman lanterns, hauled in 5-gallon containers of water, and slept on the floor in sleeping bags. It felt like going to summer camp. The original 2-hole outhouse built in 1940 The property had a two-hole outhouse built in 1940, which we resurrected and used. Because few things are more “fun” than going outside in the middle of the night, carrying a flashlight, to use a spooky old outhouse! We had many adventures, like a death-defying trip to Burley Mountain lookout where, in one sweeping vista, we could see three magnificent mountains—Mt. Adams, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier.One time we rescued our kids and a friend as they crossed a field unaware of a bull grazing nearby. We spent long days hanging out at Yellow Jacket Ponds, fishing for trout, playing in the water, then coming back to the house to fry fresh fish for dinner. On top of the world at the Burley Mountain Lookout The lookout at Burley Mountain allowed unobstructed views of the surrounding mountains and forests—important for spotting fires. Christina and Charley rest in the shade. On the edge of Mt. St. Helens Andrew and Erin goofing around, with the crater of Mt. St. Helens in the distance. Andrew, Max, Stuart and Charley with the day’s catch; Rusty in the corner. We captured rubber boas, and watched bats descend at dusk to feast on insects. We caught frogs, lizards, garter snakes and crickets that occupied our “guest aquarium” until they were released before heading back to Seattle. And we foraged for wild berries, fruit and nuts growing on our land. It was the complete antithesis of life in the city. We spent two decades restoring the house, and eventually furnished it with hand-me-downs from our Seattle home, plus artifacts lovingly collected over the years. It felt very familiar and homey to us. However by 2013, with both boys grown and gone, we weren’t spending as much time at our country home. So I decided to try listing it on AirBNB — and quickly learned we weren’t really prepared. The Horsfall House, restored After righting the foundation, rebuilding the porches and chimney, roofing and painting. We loved Randle “as is.” We viewed it through the lens of our own memories and experiences—and not through the eyes of strangers. Our first guest gave us a forgiving review. The next was brutal, and though I was upset by it, she was right: the house wasn’t ready for prime time. Thus began my quest to revamp it to create the “best guest experience” we could offer. It's not a hotel! Welcome to our home. Looking toward the fireplace. We gathered the rocks and had a local stone mason set them. “The Orr House” oar is an homage to “Mrs. Orr,” former occupant and whom we believe to be a benevolent spirit at the house. I began by replacing the bedding and linens, and expanded from there, doing what we could to make people feel welcomed and help ensure a pleasant stay. I worked hard, along with David and our property manager, Cathy Kane, to achieve “super host” status! It’s an accomplishment that requires continued hard work to retain. Super-host status is fleeting. You have to work hard to hang on to it! People naturally shop around for the best deals, and we think they recognize the value in staying in our home. There are nearby rentals that are more or less expensive, but none offer quite the same spaces and experiences. Pet owners love that their dogs can safely romp on 22 acres of land, pretending they are their wild ancestors on the hunt. And looking out across the Big Bottom Valley in the morning to see a herd of elk is an amazing treat. The rope swing was popular day or night In terms of recognizing value—we’re grateful to Verizon for being the only proven carrier in Randle. I routinely remind our guests to bring lots of quarters for the pay phone in town if they have AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile. We put a positive spin on the lack of cell service by positioning it as a “digital detox” experience, but the truth is, we love that Verizon sees value in serving areas like Randle, where none of the other major carriers are to be found. We regard it as our lifeline to the civilized world. It’s been a 25-year journey so far. For us, we’ve found #BetterMatters ‐ especially when it comes to memories. And chorus frogs singing you to sleep. Christina insisted on wearing her velvet dress and patent-leather shoes on the rope swing—even at night! All Photos © Terri Nakamura 1991 through 2016 We’ve been Verizon customers since 2002 when our oldest son began as a cadet at West Point. As part of an awesome group of Verizon influencers, I’m grateful to Verizon for giving me the opportunity to use and test some awesome devices and tech. No additional compensation is provided, nor are favorable comments promised. All opinions are my own. This post was originally published on Social Media Stories & Tech, and on the blog, The Medium.

    Tags:

  • house
  • restoration
  • memories
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