You have to look very closely at a detailed map of the Commonweath of Virginia to find a little dot with the name “Basye” next to it. Here you will find the pure forests, clean mountain air, roaming wildlife, and decades-old family names very well-known in the Shenandoah Valley. Over a century ago, Basye wouldn’t even have been that tiny little dot on your map---just a settlement along the road to Orkney Springs, named after a long-gone family named Basye, and lived in by a few old families like the Funkhousers, Dellingers, and Lonas, just to name a few.

In 1909, William Bryce came to the Shenandoah Valley with his wife and son to relax in the spa atmosphere of Ornkey Springs and to “take the waters”, hoping that it would relieve his arthritis. Though remote, Orkney Springs, today an even smaller town about 3 miles west of Basye, was then very well-known for its natural springs which were believed to have wonderful healing properties, and was enjoying a success that was precedent of the times. In those days, “taking the waters”, as it became known, was something the wealthy middle-aged did on weekends and vacations. In order to avail themselves of this luxury, these visitors had to spend four hours on a train and in a stage coach to travel the 15 miles from Mount Jackson in the center of the Valley.

William enjoyed the tranquil countryside surrounding Orkney Springs area so much, he decided to stay. In hotel management by trade, he decided the Shenandoah Valley would be where he would retire, and offered an idea based on summer cottages and a close family atmosphere. He then settled on a 1,000-acre farm nearby, which just happened to be slightly east of Orkney Springs close to the Basye settlement. In 1922, he built several cottages on his property, without heating sources, thus keeping the resort as a summer holiday location; and slowly but surely the small resort area grew.

Forty two years later, in 1964, William’s grandson Paul “Pete” Bryce glanced at a lingering patch of April snow on the mountainside, thought of a ski slope, and dreamed of Bryce Four Seasons Resort. In those days, ski slopes were not something most Virginians could identify with; skiing was something movie stars and Europeans dabbled in. Skiing in Virginia was basically unheard of.

Pete inherited the Bryce family traits of confidence, persistence, and the determination required to invest the rest of his entire adult life in making a dream come true. He needed the help of his Mother who was then operating the Hillside Cottages; and her feelings immediately were that it was a great thing for families.

One step at a time Bryce Resort grew. It was the first ski slope in the south; it was the first to have a chair lift which was installed by 1970. Snowmaking was another new challenge to the growing community; in 1965 when the jets of compressed air and water were released for the first time, people came from around the county, blocking the one-lane road until it was impassable.

In 1975, Pete furthered his dream by dividing the resort into Bryce Ski and Country Club, a non-profit organization dependent on development. Instead of a hotel, he went with condomiuniums. Lots were divided; a golf course was installed; restaurants were upgraded; new slopes were added; it went from a resort with a summer season to a resort with a year-long season. Today, there are more than 107 condominiums where the cottages once were, 700-plus single family homes, on over 2,600 lots. A landing strip for small airplanes now ribbons through the resort, because Pete loves to fly; and it is now used as a marketing tool to attract professional people and their families to the resort.

Throughout the decades of steady resort and residential growth, the small town of Basye has remained the serene quaint enclave of local generations and newer additions of retired people. Two fully stocked general stores, The Community Store and the Stop-and-Look Store, also serve as the community gas stations, hunters’ check-ins, and voluntary “direction-givers” to new visitors. The small but fully-equipped post office lies between the stores, maintains a sufficient number of mail boxes, and its friendly staff is on a first-name basis with many residents. Numerous real estate offices, time share groups, restaurants, and other entertainment facilities join with the Resort providing employment for over 200 people.

And yes, Paul “Pete” Bryce is still dreaming, and working on his newest challenge - a very small assisted living facility which could include medical facilities for the aging population, indoor swimming, croquet, and putting green - to be constructed on his former landing strip.

Perhaps one day “Basye” will be more than just a tiny dot on the map; and perhaps some day this quiet little community will find the need to install a traffic light. The residents hope not!