waterperry farm

What waterperry farm does

Waterperry Farm is a privately-held luxury horticultural retreat located in Free Union, Virginia, founded in 1990 by Katherine Kane and her husband Olin West. Originally operated as the Braeburn dairy farm, the property was reoriented in the late 2000s toward ornamental horticulture and experiential hospitality, anchored by 10 acres of curated gardens within a 100-acre estate. The business serves individual leisure travelers, garden enthusiasts, and private event clients, with prestige validation from visits by the Garden Club of America, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, James River Garden Club, English Speaking Union, and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Name

waterperry farm

Legal name

Waterperry Farm LLC

Website

https://waterperryfarm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Waterperry Farm is a privately-held luxury horticultural retreat and event estate in Free Union, Virginia, offering two guesthouses (14 guests max), 10 acres of gardens, and hosted celebrations on a 100-acre property founded in 1990.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Luxury Rural Hospitality and Garden Estate Retreats

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Farmhouses, Country Houses & Vineyard Estates (THAMAEAG)

Keywords

• Luxury vacation rentals
• Private garden tours
• Boutique event venues
• Horticultural tourism
• Estate celebration venues

Headquarters

HQ city

Free Union

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Guesthouse Accommodations: Luxury overnight stays in two guesthouses (The Carriage House and The Farmhouse) sleeping up to 14 guests total, managed exclusively by Stay Charlottesville. Revenue generated through nightly rental rates.
2. Garden Tours: Year-round garden visits by appointment including self-guided tours ($15/person), guided tours ($25/person minimum 8), and premium Champagne Garden Tours ($100/person, 6-12 guests).
3. Photo Sessions: Photography sessions on the property at $200 for 90 minutes or $150 for up to one hour. Full and half-day sessions available for styled shoots, fashion, and corporate branding.
4. Celebrations & Ceremonies: Elopement ceremonies on weekdays for $2,000 (up to 12 guests). Seasonal celebration venues including cocktail events ($2,500 up to 36), greenhouse dinners ($2,000 up to 12), and pavilion dinners ($5,000 up to 36).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Waterperry Farm is a 100-acre private estate in Free Union, Virginia that rents two luxury guesthouses (the Carriage House and the Farmhouse), leads garden tours, hosts photo sessions, and conducts elopement and celebration ceremonies. The estate functions as an exclusive-use retreat that combines overnight accommodation, horticultural experiences, photography access, and intimate event hosting on a single rural property near Charlottesville.

Product overview

Waterperry Farm is a 100-acre luxury horticultural retreat located in Free Union, Virginia, offering exclusive accommodations and garden experiences. The property features two distinct guesthouses—The Carriage House (2 bedrooms, sleeps 4) and The Farmhouse (5 bedrooms, sleeps 10)—along with ten acres of extraordinary private gardens, a pool house, and recreational amenities including swimming, tennis, and pickleball. The company offers multiple service products: garden tours (self-guided at $15/person or guided at $25/person), champagne garden tours ($100/person for 6-12 guests), photo sessions ($150-200), and celebration events including elopement ceremonies, cocktail receptions, and seated dinners in the greenhouse or pavilion. The gardens span ten acres with ponds, parterres, an arboretum, reflecting pool, rose and butterfly gardens, bog garden, cutting garden, English greenhouse, and mountain views. Reservations for guesthouses are managed exclusively through Stay Charlottesville.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Carriage House Luxury guesthouse rental on the 100-acre Waterperry Farm estate, sleeping up to 6 guests, available for overnight stays. The Carriage House is part of the farm's exclusive-use accommodation offering and is distributed both through the Waterperry website and via Stay Charlottesville.
• Farmhouse Luxury guesthouse rental on the 100-acre Waterperry Farm estate, sleeping up to 8 guests. Together with the Carriage House, the Farmhouse gives the estate a combined overnight capacity of 14 guests and supports retreat and family-stay bookings.
• Self-Guided Garden Tour Self-paced tour of the Waterperry gardens sold on a per-person basis, targeted at garden tourists, horticultural enthusiasts, and visitors to the Charlottesville region who want independent access to the estate's gardens.
• Guided Garden Tour Expert-led tour of the Waterperry gardens sold on a per-person basis, designed for garden clubs, horticultural societies, and serious garden enthusiasts who want curated interpretation of the 100-acre estate.
• Champagne Garden Tour Premium guided tour of the Waterperry gardens that includes champagne service, offered at a higher price point than the standard Guided Garden Tour and positioned as an upscale visitor experience.
• Photo Sessions Rental of the Waterperry estate grounds, gardens, and structures for private photography and video shoots, sold in tiered packages. Designed for professional photographers, models, content creators, and small brands needing a controlled, scenic private location.
• Elopement Ceremony Intimate elopement ceremony held on the Waterperry estate, including officiant services and coordination support, targeted at couples seeking a private, scenic alternative to traditional wedding venues.
• Cocktails & Hors d'oeuvres Celebration Reception-style celebration on the Waterperry estate featuring cocktails and hors d'oeuvres service, positioned as a lower-commitment alternative to a full dinner reception for intimate weddings and milestone events.
• Greenhouse Dinner Celebration Seated dinner celebration held in the Waterperry greenhouse, offered as a more distinctive, intimate alternative to a traditional reception venue.
• Pavilion Dinner Celebration Seated dinner celebration held at the Waterperry pavilion, providing a larger and more conventional event space within the estate's grounds for weddings and milestone events.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chicago Botanic GardencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Prestigious public garden whose President's Circle donors (30 people) visited for garden tour and greenhouse dinner, launching their area garden tour. Received thank-you letter from Executive Vice President Fred Spicer praising the garden vision.
• Stay CharlottesvillecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive property management partner handling all guesthouse reservations including Check In/Check Out, guest inquiries, and arranging additional services such as personal chef, wine tours, airport car service, and yoga instruction. Guests are redirected to Stay Charlottesville's booking platform (Stay Charlottesville) for reservations.
• Aha! CuisineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatering partner providing bubbly and hors d'oeuvres for events such as the English Speaking Union Historic Garden Week gathering.
• Virginia Home Grown (PBS)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerTelevision program featuring interview with owner Katherine Kane, providing promotional visibility for the property to Virginia gardeners and horticulture enthusiasts across the state.
• English Speaking Union (ESU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit educational organization whose Charlottesville chapter held a guided garden tour event at Waterperry during Historic Garden Week, including catering by Aha! Cuisine.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards: Virginia estate vineyard offering luxury accommodations, event venues, and curated experiences. Most directly comparable peer in the Charlottesville-region luxury estate-with-gardens category.
• Mount Ida Farm & Vineyard: Virginia farm estate near Charlottesville offering overnight stays, weddings, and event venues on a comparable scale with similar rural luxury positioning.
• The Clifton: Historic Charlottesville luxury estate offering exclusive-use accommodations, weddings, and corporate events with similar high-end event pricing and capacity.
• Goodstone Inn & Restaurant: Virginia countryside luxury inn on a large estate with gardens, dining, and event hosting—a comparable boutique luxury estate experience in the Virginia market.

Regional players

• Keswick Vineyards: Charlottesville-area vineyard with event venue hosting weddings and celebrations at similar price points, though without the overnight accommodation product.
• Veritas Vineyard & Winery: Virginia vineyard with event venue offering weddings, corporate events, and tastings in a comparable luxury rural setting near Charlottesville.

Broad incumbents

• Salamander Resort & Spa: Large Virginia luxury resort with spa, dining, and equestrian activities serving a similar affluent traveler persona but at significantly larger scale and broader service portfolio.
• Boar's Head Resort: Established Charlottesville luxury resort with full-service amenities including spa, dining, and sports; competes for the same leisure luxury travel demand but with a hotel-style rather than private-estate model.
• Wintergreen Resort: Virginia Blue Ridge resort offering lodging, dining, and recreational amenities in the same geographic region; broader scale and year-round operation but lower exclusivity positioning.

Others

• Stay Charlottesville: Charlottesville luxury property management partner that also lists and manages other comparable private estates and vacation rentals in the area, providing a partial catalog of competing properties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/waterperryfarm
• Instagraminstagram.com/waterperryfarm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterperry-farm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about waterperry farm