A new Oregon subdivision is being modeled after Tolkien's Shire, though the developer isn't much of a Middle Earth fan (he has a friend who's read the books and advises him). He claims he's selling "finely crafted homes with a European flair."
The houses — going for $550,000 to $850,000 — will feature gabled roofs with faux-straw thatch made from thin strands of PVC that promotional literature says "is essentially windproof, rainproof, fireproof and guaranteed not to discolor."
Meyers has taken the liberty of renaming an irrigation canal next to The Shire as Brandywine Brook. He's happy to show off two Hobbit holes otherwise known as storage sheds.
(Thanks, Brent!)
Update: Rick sez, "This made me think of a development in Davis CA, where all the street names were taken from Tolkien. Some background: Village homes, completed in 1981, is considered the grandady of "green" developments, with comunity-building design and energy-efficient archicture."
