Dating back to the 1700s, the farm known as Highspire Corner in East Brandywine that once housed singer-songwriter Jim Croce has been restored and is now both an auction house and Airbnb, writes Virginia Lindak for The Daily Local News.

Before his death at age 30, Croce lived at Highspire in the 1970s with his wife Ingrid. The night she told him she was pregnant, he sat down at the table to write the popular hit, “Time in a Bottle.” He also collaborated with his songwriting partner Maury Muehleisen there to produce his album You Don’t Mess Around with Jim. The album’s cover photo features the stone outhouse building on the farm.

The space has been bought and transformed by Julie and James Pook, who specialize in antiques and fine art. The couple takes in collections and keeps them at the barn on the property where the public can view the items before auction.

Additionally, the farmhouse has been recreated as a place where guests can enjoy the rustic attributes while listening to Jim Croce records. There are two bedrooms, with a loft on the third floor that is currently being marketed as an artist or writer’s retreat complete with paintbrushes, canvases, and other supplies.

A portion of the funds from the antique sales and the Airbnb go into restoration projects on the property.

“I feel like it’s magic here. You can think of a million creative things to do. It lends itself to any kind of creativity you can imagine. The whole space is a creator’s retreat. We want to do everything we can to preserve it,” said Julie Pook.

Read more about Highspire Corner in The Daily Local News.

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