Behind Georgia pines, a Southern rock Valhalla rests, the three-decade sanctuary of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s late legendary guitarist. Gary Rossington famously cheated death twice in the 1970s, recovering from crashes both vehicular and aerial to shape an enduring musical legacy. This wooded 80-acre respite nurtured his art until passing last year at 71.
Now the 7,516 sq. ft. estate Rossington named “Free Bird’s Nest” seeks a new steward at $12 million. The forested grounds could cradle creative new chapters; beside the timbered, waterfall-fed home, a spring-fed lake with dual docks hosts fish and fowl. Tile-clad baths and vaulted rooms echo with bare floors, the private spaces that once hosted rock royalty.
Dappled light filters through abundant windows, alighting on rooms outfitted for entertainment by a fireside wet bar, billiards and media suite. The studio where Rossington once spun Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Southern hymns has been stripped to basics, ready to welcome fresh compositions. And the separate guest wing and twin barns offer ample room for that creative expansion.
This is a wooded wonderland primed to inspire, glimpsing forest from sunrise breakfast nooks and viewing spring-fed waters sparkling beyond limestone terraces.
Rossington co-wrote Lynyrd Skynyrd’s most famous anthem, “Sweet Home Alabama.” The song featured on their second studio album, 1974’s Second Helping.