In the heart of Bosque County, Texas, Lone Spring Ranch stands with a story to tell.
Plenty of ranches go up for sale in the Lone Star State, many of which are tricked-out with state-of-design features and amenities. But few have a history like this recently listed property in Meridian, Texas. Lone Spring Ranch is not the old stomping grounds for hotshot cowboys or the site of historic gunslinger battles. It is, however, where children learned to ride bikes, families talked for hours on the front porch, and old friends gathered around a kitchen table.
Presley, the owner of Lone Spring Ranch, sat down with C&I to talk about the hidden beauties of the property, along with the memories shared within its 2,000-acre expanse. After acquiring the property in 1997, Presley set out to do two things: enhance the offerings of the ranch, and preserve its historic structure and legacy. “The buildings, as you see today, were all here when we acquired the property in 1997,” he said. “They’re exactly the same footprint. They’ve been preserved and enhanced. People don’t realize the legacy of these stone buildings that were built probably in the ’50s or earlier. By enhancing and improving existing structures, we feel like we’ve honored the legacy of the property.”
In addition to preserving the history of the structures, Presley saw endless potential in the land itself. Initially a 1,200-acre property, he set out to expand, buying and redeveloping neighboring properties to grow Lone Spring Ranch into a 2,000-acre homestead, complete with breathtaking wildlife. “The hidden gems are the wildlife, of course, and the native and active live-water source — the spring,” he said. “The namesake for the ranch is the Lone Spring, which is a beautiful artesian well up in the top of a mountain.”
The land is also home to a variety of native species, all of which have become a priority to Presley over the years. “Along the way, our guiding principle was to be really conscientious about being good stewards of the land, because you have wildlife habitats that you want to maintain and improve,” he said. “You have wildlife species, and you want to maintain and enhance and minimize any kind of destructive impact on the surface.”
Since assuming ownership in 1997, Presley has improved water impoundments, water availability for animals, brush control, wildlife feeding, and wildlife management, cultivating an oasis for hunters, fishermen, and wildlife enthusiasts.
The real triumph of the property is the potential for making memories. Presley raised his children here, cultivating memories to spare and bringing to light the property’s ability to bring families together. “What we saw was that when the family unit went to the ranch, there was a unification. There was a lack of distractions, and there was just so much more connectedness between the two generations. You’re just out and there’s no shopping mall; there’s no video games, no cell phones,” he said. “The girls are riding around on their bicycles, playing games and hide-and-seek in the rocks, playing in the dirt, and hiding in the trees — just things kids don’t get to do these days.”
While many innovative amenities have been added to the original property — including event spaces, sophisticated equipment barns, and an Argentine cooking kitchen — Presley has one special place in mind. “The greatest part of the main house, quite honestly, is the kitchen,” he said. “It’s the heart. If anybody’s here, they’re in the kitchen, no matter what. So many meals, so many Thanksgiving dinners, New Year’s Eve dinners, birthday dinners, celebrations of all kinds happened in that kitchen. That is the heart and soul of the house.”
Presley could not agree more that the heart of a home is not in its luxury but in the memories. “We wanted a home, and we wanted to have a place where we could gather and have family and friends and develop these great memories,” Presley said. “It’s been a fantastic journey to take a beautiful piece of property and make it even better.”
Get A Preview Of The Property
Lone Spring Ranch
State Highway 144 — Lone Spring Ranch
Meridian, Texas 76665 United States
$23,475,000
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 3
Total Square Footage: 4,500
Lot Size: 2,000 acres
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO: GiGi Elyse
