Chesapeake Bay Island, Complete With Goat Herd, Could Be Yours

(Note: This story originally published Aug. 5.) EWELL, MD — If your idea of paradise is a pristine island in Chesapeake Bay you're in luck: Goat Island off the Eastern Shore of Maryland is still on the market for $1.5 million. The asking price is a deep discount from the original $15 million the owners once sought. And, the property comes with a bonus: a herd of about 30 goats.

The land has a couple of shanties on it, and Somerset County will allow two homes to be built on the island. Luckily, an electric cable runs from the mainland to the island, although other services would need to be installed, such as septic, says Realtor.com.

The Bradshaw family has owned the island since 1956, when an ancestor purchased it as a hunting and fishing getaway, seller Bob Bradshaw tells DelMarvaNow. Harvey Bradshaw planted pine trees and constructed a shanty on the island, but otherwise left the land untouched. Family members don't know how the goats came to be on the island, but the newspaper says Marylanders have for decades used small islands as natural pens for livestock.

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The real estate listing for the property says: "OWN YOUR OWN ISLAND IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY! 55 acres of uninhabited, pristine waterfront property with 1.26 miles of shoreline. Good elevation, existing electrical service. Approved perc test from the County. About 30 +/- goats live on the island. 1.8 miles of rip-rap (break water) protects the island."

Photo courtesy of Realtor.com