Shepherd Village logo with colorful houses and a tree.

Shepherd Village

  • Communities

About the Communities

  • Established
  • Home-sharing
  • Town/Small City

Founding year

  • 2011

What we do

A cohousing community of 30 households, welcoming and inclusive, using planet-friendly building materials and practices. Embraced by the beauty of rivers & mountains, and nestled in a culturally dynamic, small university town
Homes 904-1482sq ft. footprint, some with second floor loft and basement options.
Community members share ownership of:
• 4000 sq ft solar-powered Common House
• walking paths through our wooded 19-acre site
• community garden (and chicken coop)
• shared woodworking and tool shop
• bike & kayak and other storage
• recycling shed
Shepherd Village is ideal for empty nesters who are looking to downsize and simplify their lives in the Eastern Panhandle of WV while enjoying the gifts of intentional community. Shepherd Village is a 10 min drive to the MARC commuter train to Washington DC. The site is also a short walk from the heart of town, with its shops and restaurants, easy access to the Potomac River and many outdoor activities. Shepherd University offers a wide variety of cultural and educational opportunities, and hosts the nationally acclaimed Contemporary American Theatre Festival every summer.

Our Mission

A welcoming cohousing community, supportive of each other, our larger community, and the environment.

  • Purpose
  • Home-sharing
  • Community type
  • Cohousing
  • Sustainability practices
  • Renewable energy systems
  • Waste reduction / composting
  • Activities
  • Property management

Commemorative dates

  • January 1, 2011
  • Started planning
  • January 1, 2018
  • Started living together
  • 45 Total members
  • Open to new members
  • Open to visitors
Total
60

How to join

Attend our virtual Open House, announced in our newsletter, the Shepherd Village Voice. When you attend the Open House, let the moderator know that you would like to be on the Prospective Owner / Renter List, and you will get instructions. You can subscribe to our newsletter through our website.

Basic expectations or agreements for members

Contact us through our website, ShepherdVillage.net.

Primary decision-making authority

  • Small Leadership Group

A few people (not elected by the broader community) make the major decisions.

Decision-making process

  • Modified Consensus

Generally seek agreement, but have backup methods when consensus isn’t reached.

Governance structure

  • Collaborative/Horizontal

Power and responsibility are shared relatively equally among members.

Economic model

  • Independent Finances

Members maintain separate personal finances with minimal sharing.

Economic scenarios for this community

  • Members need to pay fees, dues, or similar to live there on a per month or per year basis
  • There is a labor obligation
  • Members typically need to have their own job or other personal source of income to cover their expenses while living in the community?

Additional economic information

Regular fees: Yes
Labor: Encouraged or suggested

Shared resources and amenities that are accessible to everyone in the community

Common House, Garden(s), Greenhouse(s), Workshop, Outbuilding(s), Large Scale Kitchen, Fire pit, Internet

Frequency of communal meals

  • About once a week

Dietary restriction

  • People can cook and eat what they want in their own residence

Community activities and engagement

  • Neighborhood, Community Housing, or Homeowner's Association

Substance use culture

  • Substance use appears in public spaces but no pressure
  • Substance use is prohibited in the community

Gender composition

  • Roughly balanced (no group over 60%)

Age demographics

  • Multi-generational (all ages well represented)

Property status

  • Privately owned

Property owner

  • By a Land Trust, Home Owners Association, or corporation

Setting

  • Town/Small City

Smaller municipalities with local services but rural character.

Community type

  • Cohousing

    Private homes with shared common facilities, designed for neighborly
    interaction while maintaining independence.

Sustainability approach

  • Renewable energy systems
  • Waste reduction / composting

Self-produced energy

  • Up to 33%

Energy sources used

  • Photovoltaic Solar

Self-produced food

  • Up to 33%

Local, organic, or fair trade food

  • Up to 33%

Food systems

  • Community garden
  • Greenhouse / aquaponics

Waste management practices

  • Recycling program
  • Land area size
    19 acres

Guest Book

Written reviews are available for plus members. Click here to upgrade.

Location

  • West Virginia, United States

Promoted Needs and Offers

Offer
  • Real Estate For Sale
3 months ago

Home For Sale at Cobb Hill CoHousing in Hartland, VT on 270 Beautiful Rural Acres

Dreaming of more community in your life? Rural and ecological living? There is a home for sale in Cobb Hill Cohousing in Hartland, Vermont, a community of 23 homes on 270 shared acres. This is a well loved and beautifully maintained three-story, passive solar house with triple paned windows, radiant floor heat, rich woodwork and custom touches throughout, and pastoral views. 36 Linden Rd, Hartland, VT 05048 2 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom, 3 floors, 2073 sqft Built in 2001 “This house feels like it was dipped in honey,” according to one neighbor! Be the lucky third owner of this beautiful, lovingly maintained, sunfilled home and dive into life at Cobb Hill. This home enjoys the same general layout (3 floors and many windows) and eco features as the other Cobb Hill homes, like extra thick walls, triple paned windows, passive solar heat, composting toilets, solar hot water, and more. Some highlights of this home include: -Cherry floors, kitchen cabinets, doors, and stairs -Radiant floor heating (basement and main floor) -Cold weather heat pumps/mini splits added in 2021 on each floor (used mainly for summer cooling and dehumidification) -Granite counters and window sills -Three hand-thrown pottery bathroom sinks -Custom-built wood features like the bar in the kitchen and counter in half bath -Natural wool carpeting upstairs -An over-sized primary bedroom with walk-in closet, plus a second closet -Large bay windows on lower and main levels -Custom Bali blinds on (almost) all windows -A more private location with no immediate neighbor to the west -Gorgeous pastoral views in all seasons to the south (see photos!) -Side deck, covered front porch, and attached shed -Mature blueberries, raspberries, flower and other garden space around the house Please explore the Cobb Hill Cohousing website (cobbhill.org) to understand what it means to buy a home and be a part of this vibrant, close-knit, agricultural, and mu
Offer
  • Communities with Openings
2 months ago

Rooms in Beautiful Location in downtown East Austin

Mountain Laurel House has upcoming room openings on August 1 and September 1 to share our house in central East Austin close to downtown. Rent is $925 per month with $75 to cover your share of the utilities and maintenance. You provide your own food. We enjoy sharing a meal at the dining table at least once a month for fun, to check in on our lives, and talk about housekeeping together. To apply, email donnaleehoffman@gmail.com with subject line Room at Mountain Laurel House. Request the brief application questions and we’ll provide more info and answer your questions. Mountain Laurel House is in a great location! It’s on a green cul de sac, with a wooded lot to the southwest and a green open space to the west. It’s close to the East 11th & Rosewood dining and entertainment district and right across from the Carver Library and a bus stop. We’re in walking distance to downtown Austin, the State Capitol, Huston-Tillotson University and a short bike or bus ride to the University of Texas; and, south or east of here, Lady Bird Lake and Boggy Creek hike and bike trails, park lands, swimming pools, pickleball and basketball courts. I kayak on Town Lake aka Lady Bird Lake or swim just across downtown at Deep Eddy or Barton Springs fresh-water, spring-fed swimming pools. We enjoy sharing a meal at the dining table at least once a month for fun, to check in on our lives, and plan housekeeping together. HEB is a short 5 minute drive east on 7th St. and Whole Foods is about a ten minute walk from here on 5th St. Amenities in the house include a dishwasher, utility room with a clothes washer-dryer and an optional clothesline, high-speed internet, a big dining room table for meals or activities, and a large screen TV for movie nights. The yard has beautiful native wildlife habitat gardens, veggie and herb pots, a large Cedar Elm, two Live Oaks, a fruit-bearing Fig, a Champenelle grape vine, and a Chili pequin. The cul de sac is a large park-like
Offer

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Communities

A residential project: people live here as their primary home.

Organizations

An institution, business, network, or project that isn’t a residence (e.g. a learning center, farm, or network with no one living there full-time).

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