T
he sprawling Orapax estate and preserve property in Goochland has been sold to new owners after being on the market for over a year with a price tag of $7 million. The 672-acre property at 3831-33 River Road West, which includes a 4,800-square-foot house overlooking the James River valley, was sold for $4.95 million on November 22.

    The three-level brick house features verandas facing the river and has four bedrooms and 5½ bathrooms. The property also includes an 8-acre fishing lake, a boathouse, and various other buildings such as a clubhouse, barn, and cottage with separate driveway. River access is provided via the Lickinghole Creek Aqueduct, a 19th-century stone structure along the James River and Kanawha Canal.

    The buyers, represented by Philip Reed of McLean Faulconer, are two local partners who plan to keep the property largely unchanged for recreational use. They had been looking for a getaway from Richmond and were drawn to the property's natural beauty and hunting opportunities. The sellers, the family of the late Andrew and Nancy Dykers, had established the preserve in the late 1980s and built the house within it.

    The Orapax Hunting Preserve was described as the largest public hunting preserve on the East Coast and hosted numerous hunts and events over the years. However, the bird hunting operation ended this month, and the owners are now focusing on a dog training, boarding, and breeding operation with local brands NK9Training and Punto Blanco Gun Dogs.

    The property's sale is among the highest real estate deals seen in Goochland in recent years, following other sizable land purchases in the region.