The Family
We always hoped to have a place in the mountains where we could host people with intention and warmth, the way we love to. This is that place.
The barn is genuinely special and beautiful. The farmhouse has been here since 1865. The grounds open up to a mountain view that feels both simple and dramatic. And the location puts you within easy reach of some of the best the Laurel Highlands has to offer.
We are grateful for the chance to be its next chapter
The History
This property has been many things to many people. A 300-acre plantation deeded by Benjamin Franklin in 1786. A working farm. A family home. A barn that burned and was rebuilt. Six acres that have changed hands a dozen times. Each iteration and owner has added a layer of story.
The farmhouse standing on the grounds today was built around 1865 by Michael Hoyman. The barn was rebuilt after a fire in the 1930s and finished into the beautiful interior you see now by the O'Leary family in the 1980s. The deed signed by Benjamin Franklin still hangs on the property. The photos of Ora and Pearl Stahl, who lived here for sixty years, are still on the wall. You can read more HERE.
We are the newest chapter in a very long story.
The Name
We named it The Cortina because it just feels right. In Italian, cortina means a curtain or barrier, which references the ridgeline that holds back the sunrise each morning and then reveals it. A place to gather and celebrate, which is exactly how we hope it feels, open and protected at the same time.
It also carries alpine and ski associations that feel only natural to our family. The name just works.
The Cortina Today
Four rooms in the barn (Magla, Zora, Suton, and Mir) are each named for something you can experience here. The Farm House is well appointment for families and groups who want their own space. The barn can host weddings, dinners, and celebrations. The bar room is perfect for evenings that go late, and the pavilion can host everything in between. We take it personally when someone chooses to spend their time here. Every guest and every gathering gets our personal attention.
We are glad you found us!
We are Brett and Nicolette Shriver, and for over twenty-five years we have worked as ski instructors in the Laurel Highlands — this region is our professional home, our weekend, and our backyard. We have rafted the Yough, fished the streams, and biked the trails with family and friends.
We are a family of six. Our four children, Mattalyn, Aspyn, Penelope, and Cole, have grown up in this landscape and each of them brings something real to what we are building. Between us, we cover hospitality, event coordination, interior architecture and design, finance, marketing, construction, and grounds. We have hosted events for ~230 people. We have renovated a pre-Civil War home from the ground up. We know what it takes to take care of a property, and we take it seriously.
The tagline Laku noć means good night in Croatian. It honors the heritage that shaped how our family gathers, eats, and celebrates.