The Settlement at Powhatan Creek

Perry and Nancy Stone, the second homeowners to move in, like the leisure life-style at The Settlement at Powhatan Creek. “We have no yard work – that’s one of the major things,” Nancy Stone says. The Stones also appreciate the convenient location. “It’s only five minutes farther down the road to Governor’s Land where we lived before, but it seems like we’re a lot closer in. It feels closer to everything.” “My husband uses the workout room and I swim laps,” Nancy Stone says. “When the weather is nice, we have met at the clubhouse with some neighbors for some wine.” Yenni, a retired NASA research pilot, likes to keep active and work out – and the club offers plenty of options. “They have an indoor and an outdoor pool,” he says. “The indoor pool is good for swimming laps. The clubhouse has a well equipped exercise room with all the machines.”

Sisters Nancy and Rosemary Nevin had always loved visiting Williamsburg and were thrilled to be able to move here. “We found a house plan that had two master bedroom suites,” Nancy Nevin says. “Once we got inside the model, we saw the inside was even better than the outside. We also have a guest bedroom and bathroom, a sunroom in the back, a kitchen/dining room and a library off the living room. We also had an elevator put in.” The Nevins had high praise for Harbin, who worked to make sure that Rosemary Nevin could access the house under construction even as she was recovering from knee surgery. “They went out of their way to be helpful,” Nancy Nevin says. “One worker even built a ramp so she could get into the house to see everything. Working with the Harbin group was fabulous.” The Nevins are still settling in, but are already enjoying the amenities at The Settlement. “I’ve never lived in a place that has both an indoor and an outdoor pool, let alone an exercise room that has the equipment this one does,” Nancy Nevin says. “I also like the whole area because you can walk without worrying. We’re extremely happy here.

A Community With So Much to Do. Tom and Diane Rhoads

The Settlement has many amenities: walking and biking trails, swimming pools, tennis, a luxurious Residents’ Club with a billiards room, fitness center and spa, and is affiliated with nearby Williamsburg National Golf Course. It also has a full-time activities director and numerous programs, from bridge to book groups, many of them held at the clubhouse located just a block from the Rhoads’ home.
The couple also enjoys the community’s beautiful green spaces and extensive walking/biking trails, which connect with the Virginia Capital and Greensprings Interpretive trails. ““When it’s really hot, it’s so nice to be in the woods,” Diane says. “We can take a 45-minute walk on a gravel trail all the way down to a little bridge.”
“This is a very active community,” Diane adds. “We have pickle ball, a cycling club, a walking group, a dining out group, bridge groups. You name it, we have it. The people here are not just sitting around twiddling their thumbs. We have a nice mix of people, retired and still working. It’s not a neighborhood with all old people.”
The Rhoads note that the community includes many who volunteer with local organizations. Diane, who is retired from her own corporate leadership training business, is a docent at Colonial Williamsburg’s St. George Tucker House. Tom, who was a partner in a fluid power distributorship company, volunteered at the orthopedic clinic at Sentara Hospital and has a therapy dog that he now takes to visit elderly residents of a local nursing home.
Neighborhood Fun for the Grandkids. All those amenities that draw residents also have had a huge appeal to the Rhoads’ grandchildren.
“Our grandchildren have loved coming down here because it was like a Grandma-Grandpa camp,” Tom says, laughing. “One time, in January – it was cold — we were in the indoor pool and I told the grandkids I’d give them each a quarter if they would go out and jump in the outdoor pool…. They did, and then ran back and jumped into the hot tub. Then they told me, ‘We’re not gonna do that anymore unless you give us a dollar!’”
Diane fondly recalls their first New Year’s Eve at The Settlement. “My daughter called that day, and said they were coming down with the children for New Year’s Eve…. We went to a show, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner, and then we all came back and went to the Clubhouse, where we have this beautiful outdoor fireplace. We roasted marshmallows and made s’ mores, and it was the best New Year’s ever!”
That Important Intangible: A Community of Great Neighbors. About five months ago, Tom had a health scare when the couple was at church, and he had to be taken to the hospital. The couple’s neighbors, after hearing Tom was in the hospital, immediately responded. “Our neighbors just swung into gear,” Diane says. “One said, ‘I have a key, I’ll go let the dogs out and feed them.’ It was so wonderful to have that feeling that everything was being taken care of. Then, when we got home, we were exhausted, and our friends across the street brought us a shrimp jambalaya dinner. That’s the kind of neighbors we have.”
Those neighbors aren’t just there to help in tough times, but also to share the good ones, and the Rhoads have done a lot of entertaining. “We are part of a neighborhood wine tasting group, and have entertained as many as 30 people in the house,” Diane notes. “And, for awhile, I mentored a lot of people at bridge and was part of a large bridge group that would meet in each other’s houses. So, we’ve hosted bridge groups here, too.”

This post was authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf. John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of the Williamsburg/ Hampton Roads area and his expertise in the local real estate market.

I can help you access all the information you will need about choosing a neighborhood and buying a home in New Kent, Gloucester, Newport News, Hampton, York County, Smithfield, Williamsburg, Poquoson or the greater Hampton Roads area, including area information on schools, local government, shopping, activities for the children and more!Whether you have made a decision to relocate, retire or are just considering a move to Williamsburg or  Hampton Roads VA, let me help make your transition or PCS to the  area a smooth and enjoyable one!

Hampton Roads is a transient community due to the large population of military members in the area. I have a unique perspective on relocation and have helped many families move in and out of the area. I understand the kind of support team it takes to make a smooth transition.

You can reach me by phone at 757-254-8136 or email  John@MrWilliamsburg.com

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Best,

John