Fit For A Cowetan

68 | www.newnancowetamag.com
Castle
Fit for a Cowetan
New high-end events facility
is just a stone’s throw away
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| 69
◗
destination
A
WELCOME
Guests at Bisham Manor are greeted by a dramatic entryway in which they can look up four winding flights of
stairs. The Tudor-style home boasts custom wood details throughout, including wood from the Black Forest in
Germany, oak and walnut paneling and extravagant hand carvings.
AS YOU WIND DOWN the driveway onto the
grounds, a scene unfolds in your view reminiscent of
“Downton abbey,” or perhaps something fit for “the
Great Gatsby” himself. When you hear the word
“castle” being used to describe this sprawling estate,
it’s not flippantly. Castle is about the only accurate
word to describe Bisham Manor, a special events
facility located in nearby laGrange, Ga.
the outside is impressive in its own right. there
are 20 acres of manicured grounds and 1,400 feet
of lake frontage on West Point. there are gardens,
a fire pit and a saltwater pool, according to Neil
liechty, co-owner of the property. Neil and his
wife, trish, bought the Young/Brumby property
— located on Old Young’s Mill Road — with their
silent partners, Jessie and Keith Crozier, at auction
in November 2013. the liechtys, who own Butts
Mill Farm and Bon-Vivant Cafe on Main in Pine
Mountain, presently reside in the home with their
two children.
to enter the 15,000-square-foot home, you must
push open a massive wooden door. the average
door in Bisham Manor weighs about 225 pounds,
according to Neil. In the dramatic entryway, you can
look up four winding flights of stairs. everywhere
you look are custom wood details. there is wood
from the Black Forest in Germany, oak and walnut
paneling and extravagant hand carvings. liechty has
found at least a dozen doors hidden in the paneling
of the home.
the tudor-style home includes six bedrooms
and eight-and-a-half baths. there is a 50-foot
tower, castle turrets at the roof, massive chimneys
and 3,000 square feet of slate decks and patios
overlooking the grounds. Inside, there is a grand hall,
a butler’s pantry and kitchen, a spa, a gym, a sauna
Written by ELIZABETH MELVILLE | Photography by PENNY BOWIE
70 | www.newnancowetamag.com
queen for a day
“This has got to
be more than a
venue. We want
people to feel
blessed by it —
we want it to be
special so the
memories you
make here will
last forever.”
– Trish Liechty
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Photo by CHRIS HELTON
72 | www.newnancowetamag.com
and a wine cellar — to name only a few of
the amenities.
Before the Liechtys acquired the
property, the stately home and its
immaculate gardens had been tucked
away out of sight from the public,
according to Neil.
“We wanted to open this up,” he said.
“I like the challenge — we knew we could
make it work.”
According to their website, around
1834, a saw mill and blacksmith shop were
present on the land where Bisham Manor
now sits. The Young family acquired the
business in 1868 and added a grist mill,
which was operated by generations of
Youngs until 1959. From the early 1880s
to almost 1940, the property was also used
recreationally by the community. In 1974,
the premises were taken by the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers in anticipation of West
Point Dam backwaters affecting the site,
according to their website.
J.L. Young had two homes constructed
on the property around 1930. His mother’s
home was built in the English Tudor style
by Newman Construction Company.
Then, Peck Brumby took ownership of
the property and, from 1997 through
2002, supervised a major overhaul of the
home with master builder Ben Parham.
The independently wealthy Brumby paid
attention to the original floor plan of the
home — and even salvaged some of the
original materials. He ended up nearly
doubling its square footage. Brumby
occupied the home for more than a decade
before moving to Atlanta, according to
Neil.
Even though the manor took four years
to design and about five years to build, the
decision for the Liechtys to purchase it
came about much more quickly.
Trish was at her family’s restaurant in
Pine Mountain when someone from the
auction company mentioned a “castle”
that was coming up for auction. This was
the Wednesday before the Sunday that it
was to be sold, according to Trish. Very
atypically, Trish said she couldn’t sleep
that night and began to surf the web.
She ended up on the auction company’s
website looking at pictures of the property.
“By the time my husband woke up
the next morning, I told him we were
so buying this,” she said. They visited
the home on Thursday. They talked to
their banker and silent partner just after
and acquired the property at auction on
Sunday.
“We feel like God had His hand on
this,” said Trish. “It’s a great adventure
together as we learn the business.”
“It’s definitely a challenge, but it’s a
good challenge,” Neil added.
Selecting a name befitting of their new
home and all its grandeur was the next
step. Trish’s 14th great-grandmother,
Margaret Pole, was a cousin to King
Henry VIII and a countess.
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THE GREAT OUTDOORS
The estate includes 20 acres of manicured grounds. There are gardens, a fire pit and a saltwater pool. A visitor's first views of the "castle" itself
include a 50-foot tower, castle turrets at the roof, massive chimneys and 3,000 square feet of slate decks and patios overlooking the grounds.
Photo by CRIS HELTON
74 | www.newnancowetamag.com
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For more detailed information or an appointment,
please call Coweta Medical Center at
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770-253-2539
6549 Hwy. 54 Ste D
Sharpsburg, Ga 30277
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[email protected]
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