‘My Family’s Off-Grid Haven Is Now an Abandoned Hovel Overrun by Feral Animals’

A man who spent his summers vacationing at his family's once-picturesque off-grid retreat has opened up about the sad demise of the property. Left abandoned for years, it crumbled into such a state of decay that it faces near-certain demolition.

Last week, the 5-acre property in Parkton, MD, raised many an eyebrow when it hit the market for $300,000. The listing notes strongly cautioned interested parties against venturing inside, revealing that the home is overrun with feral cats and raccoons.

Images of the dwelling were akin to something from a horror movie, revealing a rotting cabin in the woods that has all but been engulfed by its natural surroundings.

Yet for Ryan Gardner, the property at 609 Bee Tree Road remains a thing of beauty and fond memories. He spent many a happy weekend there visiting his aunt and uncle, who used to own the remote sanctuary. The cabin was built by his uncle and grandfather.

“I grew up between different places in Maryland, and going up there was like a breath of fresh air. You’d go to Bee Tree, and it felt free, away from society in the best way,” Gardner tells Realtor.com®.

“For me, it was an amazing stress relief, a place I’ll always carry with me," he says.

The property had a bit of electricity but no plumbing or running water. Gardner's aunt and uncle used a natural spring and an outhouse, with washing done in tubs and fires for heating.

“They got water from a natural spring, cooked on a wood stove, and even had coal stored in the basement," he recalls. "Every pot, pan, and dish was individual; nothing was fancy, but it all worked. We always had family cookouts ... because we had to.”

This simple way of living was a welcome change from his day-to-day life, Gardner recalls. “I took to it naturally.”

The cabin was also a place to see his uncle's ingenuity.

“My uncle Tom once told me he had a new hot tub, and I thought, ‘What hot tub? You don’t even have plumbing.’ He rigged up this giant plastic tub with a fire pit and a metal coil, like a big slinky, running through the water to heat it," he says.

"It was basically a DIY sauna in the backyard. I was a teenager, but I thought, ‘This is amazing. This is one way to relax.’”

The solitude of the cabin, which is nestled in the woods right by the NCR Trail and Bee Tree Reserve, showed that living a step back from modern society didn’t mean deprivation, but abundance.

“People might have looked at him and said, ‘You’re living like a caveman,’ but he loved life that way. He was of Cherokee descent, and that lifestyle just took to him. He wasn’t reliant on technology. That’s just who he was," Gardner explains.

His uncle has since died, and his elderly aunt moved out of the home over four years ago—before recently deciding to put it up for sale.

“The house was built in 1906. For a long time, it didn’t even have electricity. The owner probably thought she was going to move back in, but she’s elderly now, and it doesn’t make sense to return to a house without plumbing,” says listing agent Ashley Richardson, with Monument Sotheby's Real Estate.

Richardson says the true value lies in the land, rather than the house. No one is allowed inside due to safety concerns.

“It’s in Baltimore County, in a nice spot because it’s next to the Gunpowder River, on a little bit of a hill. ... The location, the acreage, and the access to trails—that’s what makes it special.

“I’m guessing someone would probably want to tear the house down, move the site farther up the hill, put in septic, drill a well, and start fresh. It would be a very pristine site.”

It’s bittersweet for Gardner to say goodbye, but he hopes that the future owner treasures their time there in the same way that he did, whether or not they can save his aunt and uncle's home.

 “It’s sad to see it go, but I’m happy if it goes to someone who will appreciate it or do some good with it. House or no house, the memories will always be there," he notes.

It appears that someone has already seen the potential in the property—with the listing now showing that the dwelling is under a contingent offer.

The buyer will face one rather unusual hurdle before they can begin working on crafting their dream home on the land: the inhabitants of the existing structure.

“There are somewhere between seven and 10 cats in the house,” Richardson says. “There are raccoons in the attic.”