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Someplace round 20 million years in the past, the shoreline of present-day Texas settled, making a collection of faults and cracks by way of which water flowed and carved out an enormous system of underground caves. Because of the invention of historic arrowheads, spearheads, and human tooth, modern-day scientists consider these caves have been inhabited by early people in search of shelter. Those self same caves now function a playground for the grandchildren of Bob and Denise Schubert, after the San Antonio residents found a tiny entry level to the caverns on the sting of their property line.
In 2004, Bob and Denise purchased a plot of land in a gated subdivision lower than two miles from Pure Bridge Caverns in San Antonio, Texas—the state’s largest-known industrial cavern, open to guests practically daily of the yr. That very same yr, Bob was strolling round his new land and observed the weeds blowing in a breeze that appeared to be coming from the bottom. Upon additional investigation, Bob discovered a small, one-inch blowhole within the patch of earth—a sign of a potential cave under. The Schuberts introduced over a geologist from the close by Pure Bridge Caverns and had him examine. His findings confirmed their suspicions: The land the Schuberts had simply bought was seemingly sitting proper on high of a pure cave.
Bob and Denise Schubert constructed their residence on a 2.56-acre lot in San Antonio, Texas, in 2006.
Maybe none of us would learn about this private-access cave if the Schuberts hadn’t lately put their residence in the marketplace, the place the $875,000 itemizing, which begins, “Do you like Pure Bridge Caverns?”, was unearthed by the sleuths at Zillow Gone Wild. Based on Zillow information, the four-bedroom residence has been seen greater than half 1,000,000 occasions, and saved by practically 9,000 folks. The home itself is gorgeous—a 2,700-square-foot two-story with huge home windows, an up to date kitchen, and a soaking tub—however nothing significantly out of the unusual relating to expansive Texas houses. The particular draw is the added basement within the yard, within the type of a 30-foot-deep cave.
On a latest go to to the Schuberts’ San Antonio home, Denise informed me about how Bob’s 2004 blowhole discovery led to the development of their personal yard cavern. Beginning in 2006, the Schuberts spent 10 years hiring a collection of volunteer geology college students, geologists, and native beginner cavers to clear an entrance to the subterranean space just a few dozen yards from the Schuberts’ residence. By 2016, the Schuberts have been prepared to rent an expert excavation workforce to complete the cave, who, at one level, noticed that the neighbors have been having a swimming pool dug, and borrowed the development firm’s backhoe. Now, the Schuberts’ cave—known as Park Caverns—consists of two rocky cave “rooms,” accessible through a staircase with lights and handrails that the Schuberts had put in under a entice door within the yard. The personal cave finally price over $87,000 to excavate and end.
The Schuberts’ personal pure cavern is accessible through a staircase with lights and handrails that the residents had put in under a entice door within the yard.
Regardless of rising up in Texas, now residing in Austin, and even beforehand residing in San Antonio for a yr, I’d by no means personally been to Pure Bridge Caverns. It’s lengthy been a type of billboards I drive by with little greater than a passive acknowledgement, the identical approach I’ve at all times handed by the large squirrel in Bastrop, the graveyard of monstrous Presidential heads in Houston, and each single Buc-ee’s. However when the chance arose to tour the Schuberts’ private cave, I jumped at it.
The cave—known as Park Caverns—consists of two subterranean “rooms,” one about seven ft broad and the opposite roughly 20 ft in circumference.
Cautioning me to look at my head, Denise led me down 30-feet value of stairs, first to the smaller of the 2 rooms, which is about seven ft broad, after which the principle room, about 20 ft in circumference. She identified the cave’s sooty black rock, which, Denise informed me, is proof that bats lived there sooner or later. Traditional. (Once I requested why the rock could be black from bats, she defined that it’s from their droppings.) Whereas it was practically 100 levels aboveground, the cave was darkish and funky—based on Denis, it’s a relentless 72 levels year-round, so on chilly winter days, it’s heat by comparability—and once we stood nonetheless, it was utterly silent. For somebody who isn’t claustrophobic, it’d be an especially peaceable place to calm down. As I admired rocks alongside the partitions ranging in shade from rusty crimson to calcium white, Denise known as my consideration to the patches of quartz deposits, which sparkled within the mild from my cellphone’s flashlight. She additionally let me contact the cave’s rocky surfaces, which I think about would’ve been a no-no on the official caverns up the road, because the oils on human fingertips may cause the rock formations to cease creating.
The personal cave price the Schuberts over $87,000 to excavate and end.
Again within the Schuberts’ vibrant front room, lined with west-facing home windows that body the Hill Nation sunsets, they informed me about how their grandchildren performed within the cave through the 5 years that it was completed, how the geologists that visited their yard over all these years taught them concerning the cave formation and rock options, and learn how to determine the opportunity of much more rooms looming beneath the cave’s present ground. They converse concerning the cave prefer it’s simply as a lot their residence because the precise home. However when a latest alternative to stay close to household in Maryland got here up, the Schuberts knew their time with Park Caverns was coming to a bittersweet finish.
To listing the property, the Schuberts employed their good friend and neighbor, Lori Largen. With the cooler market in Texas, the home sat on the MLS for just a few weeks, and, discouraged by the inaction, the couple decreased the itemizing value by $75,000 in mid-July. However as quickly as Zillow Gone Wild shared the itemizing, the Schuberts have been bombarded with requests, even after the home finally went underneath contract.
The four-bedroom residence sat in the marketplace for just a few weeks after the couple listed it, however as quickly as Zillow Gone Wild shared the itemizing, the Schuberts have been bombarded with requests.
As Largen informed me within the Schubert’s front room shortly after my cave tour, she didn’t should do a lot to stage the home, with one notable exception: Take away the huge assortment of actually huge rocks from the cave that the Schuberts had used to brighten the mantles and different elements of the home through the years.
“Bob actually obtained into the rocks,” Denise stated. “We had rocks in virtually each room.”
Prime photograph by Amanda Terry/Twist Excursions.
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