Keeping with Nature’s Truest Beauty

Brothers Jimmy and Barry Wagner balance concerns of environment and development in Sequatchie County
by Mike Haskew
Photography by Doug Barnette

From the steel and concrete of the city to the mountain vistas, wooded glades, lakes and streams of the Cumberland Plateau and the Sequatchie Valley, the drive is only about 35 minutes.

For Jimmy Wagner, however, the return to his boyhood home involved a number of years and ultimately a career change. Jimmy and his brother Barry are the owners of Wagner Brothers Land Company, which is based in Dunlap and now has more than 3,500 acres under development. But then, just saying that the Wagners are real estate developers is only part of the story.

With a dozen separate developments in progress, the Wagners are committed to the premise that subdivisions and homes can be constructed in harmony with the land, its natural beauty, and its wildlife rather than in conflict with them. Truly, even if a person is not well traveled, it would be hard not to conclude that this is some of the most beautiful country on Earth. Poppies, bachelor buttons, blazing stars and other wildflowers bloom in abundance in the spring and summer, a carnival of colors cascades from the treetops in the autumn, and in the crisp, clear winter an occasional snowfall paints the landscape white.

On the wall in Jimmy's office, a passage from Henry David Thoreau's classic book Walden describes his perspective on man's relationship with nature. "I went to the Woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Both Jimmy and Barry are physicians. Barry recently completed a term as the facility's chief of staff in Crossville's Cumberland Medical Center. Jimmy attended medical school at the University of Tennessee's Memphis campus and worked during his residency at Erlanger. He conducted AIDs research with the Centers For Disease Control while in Florida and practiced in Fort Lauderdale before returning to Sequatchie County.

Jimmy's journey home began several years ago with a telephone call from his father, George, who is Dunlap's mayor and has spent 47 years in public service in the area. "I was in Florida, and dad called to say that there were some large tracts of land coming up for sale," Jimmy remembered. "Barry and I bought a couple thousand acres. This was soon after Corridor J (Highway 111) was opened to Chattanooga."

For the last six years, Jimmy has been involved in developing real estate full-time, and his love of the land has steadily grown. "A few years ago if anybody had told me that one day I would ooh and aah over a bulldozer I wouldn't have believed them," he laughed. "But the change has been gradual, and you can't practice medicine part-time. I grew up in Dunlap. It's home, and my family is here."

Frankly, Jimmy does miss practicing medicine. A couple of years ago, he had an opportunity for a fellowship at Duke University but declined it. Running Wagner Brothers Land Company really is a two-person effort these days, and it demands his full attention along with that of his sister Diane, who serves as the company's office manager.

More than an ownership interest, Jimmy believes his ties to the land are better described as something of a trust. "There is an optimum way to develop land for people to use," he reasoned. "We try to do it in a correct, environmentally friendly way. I think the American Indians were correct. We don't really own the land. We just put our names on a piece of paper for a few years. When I'm dead and gone, some of these developments will be preserved."

Just what the Wagners have committed themselves to becomes apparent when the scope of the development is considered. Wooded lots ranging in size from three or four acres to much larger tracts are now available. Infrastructure is in place and being extended. Options include homesites in the midst of old growth forest, along mountain streams, or near lakes. Natural rock formations are incorporated into developments, and stewardship requires that new trees be planted, wildflowers sown, fish stocked and wildlife released into areas prepared for new woodland homesites.

The names of the developments reflect the settings from which homeowners may choose, including Greenfields, Sunset Ridge, Highland Acres, Bluff View, The Woods, Ridge Crest, RiverView, Brookridge, and Oak Meadows. While the Wagners also offer commercial property in the Dunlap area, their energy remains focused primarily on their residential offerings.

Several Wagner developments are located on Fredonia Mountain and include vistas of striking beauty. At Greenfields, the construction of Lake George was completed in the fall of 1999. Since then, the lake has been stocked with a variety of game fish. A solar powered feeding system releases food several times a day. A covered gathering area has already been completed and will include a large cooking pit for picnics and outings. Lake George is the first of four planned lakes on Fredonia Mountain. The sites were identified by a civil engineering firm, which was consulted specifically for lake construction.

The Woods includes 746 acres of oak, hickory, dogwood and other native trees. "Residents in The Woods will have neighbors, but will probably not see them unless they choose to visit," smiled Jimmy. "The land is gently rolling with many hollows and creeks surrounded by mountain laurel. The mountain laurel and other native flowering plants, such as the wild honeysuckle bush, are stunningly beautiful when they bloom each spring. In the fall, the various colors of the hardwood forest foliage are also spectacular."

A favorite refuge for those familiar with The Woods is Sue's Bridge, named in memory of Jimmy's friend, Sue Maggert, who passed away in 1996. Because Sue loved the beauty of the covered bridges of New England, a fitting tribute to her has become reality where Woods Road crosses Long Fork Creek near the center of the development. "Sue's Bridge is 72 feet long and consists of lumber sawed at a local sawmill, a forest green metal roof, and a cupola with a large cast iron bell," Jimmy explained. "I try to ring that bell each time I go through the bridge. It also has wooden rails and open sides so residents of The Woods can enjoy the creek and mountain laurel."

Work continues at Sue's Bridge, with stone retaining walls four to six feet thick being constructed to a height of up to 10 feet. The stone itself is native to Fredonia Mountain, and approximately 260 tons of it have been used in the construction of the walls and adjacent pillars.

In the early stages of development, Laurelwoods is located 10 miles from Dunlap and features lots of 10 to 20 acres in a total 259-acre area atop the Cumberland Plateau. During these early stages, lots are being sold at prices from $5,000 to $6,000 per acre. However, per acre prices can be expected to increase in the coming months.

Located in the Sequatchie Valley itself, just two miles from Dunlap, are the 33 lots of Ridge Crest Estates and the 29 of its neighbor, RiverView Estates. "These are brand new luxury residential communities, offering the valley's most desirable location in a beautiful natural setting off the banks of the Sequatchie River," noted Jimmy. "They are part of an old farm whose boundaries extended from the valley's central ridge to the center of the river. Great care was taken with the division of this farm, and with the design of these two communities, so that the land would be used in an optimal manner, and so that the feel of being in the country would be preserved."

Jimmy has designed the aesthetically pleasing entrances to several of the subdivisions, and the other Wagner Brothers developments of Sequatchie County offer equally appealing attributes.

Jimmy has even been able to apply some of his medical experience in the development of the land. "I learned from medicine that you can never know everything," he related. "When you need help with something specialized, the thing to do is consult with a specialist."

Horticulturist Charlene Nash of the Tennessee Aquarium has provided expertise in the nurturing of various ecosystems at Greenfields. "She has helped me to design the horticultural aspects of the development so that it is perpetual," said Jimmy. "We have wildflower plots, hummingbird plots, and butterfly gardens. We will label trees and things so that a ride through Greenfields on a golf cart will be an educational experience."

Jim Miller, an aquaculturist who has traveled the world working on diverse projects, has teamed with the Wagners to create an environment in which fish can thrive in Lake George. "We've stocked the lake with bass, both largemouth and smallmouth, yellow perch, bluegill, and shellcracker," said Jimmy. "We tested the water, added lime to get the correct pH, and then added fertilizer to help the little microorganisms grow. After that we put in the forage fish like the bluegill and some minnows. Then the predator fish were introduced. You start at the bottom of the food chain and work your way up. It's just like building a big aquarium."

In the next two years, the stocking program at Lake George is expected to be so successful that 50 pounds of fish per week could be taken without an adverse affect on its natural balance.

In 1997, Wagner Brothers cooperated with the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency in the release of 16 adult wild turkeys in The Woods. Now, groups of eight to 10 crossing a road are a common sight. In addition, the osprey, eagle, hawk, bobcat, and abundant deer are at home on Wagner-developed land. Quail are settling in so well that Jimmy estimates an eventual covey for every 10 acres.

Last spring, the Wagners planted 2,500 trees. "We put in oak, white pine, white and blue spruce, walnut and poplar," said Jimmy. "These will grow for future generations and also serve as habitat for wildlife and as visual shields. We've also planted some bushes with berries that stay on the branch longer in the winter so the birds have extra food." In the process of helping prospective land owners choose a tract which is right for them, Jimmy has established some firm friendships. "I want to take care of people who buy land from me, and we usually get to be buddies," he commented. "We have something for the person who is looking for a home in a really nice subdivision near a quaint little town or for the person who wants 10 to 15 acres or more, with some space."

For those building in the Wagner developments, covenants are in place concerning the size of structures and other elements related to the preservation of harmony between the residents and the natural setting as well as to protect the value of investments in the real estate.

It is important to realize, however, that one covenant supersedes all others as far as the Wagners are concerned. It is the one they have made with the land.

Reprinted from CityScope Magazine, Fall 2001

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

Henry David Thoreau from Walden