The owner of an 18th century farmhouse roughly three miles southwest of Smithfield wants to operate the property as an event center.

According to a public notice published in the Jan. 1 print edition of The Smithfield Times, Isle of Wight County’s Planning Commission has scheduled a Jan. 28 public hearing on an application by Joshua Mathias and Oak Level Acres for a conditional use permit for 15107 Courthouse Highway.

The hearing is scheduled during the Planning Commission’s 6 p.m. meeting.

According to the application, Oak Level Acres plans to use roughly half of its 10.5 acres to host mainly weddings. The circa-1768 house would be used for small weddings, company lunches or dinners, and wedding parties to prepare for the ceremony. The majority of events would take place outside.

The application states Oak Level Acres “does not intend to construct or build any additional buildings, improvements or appurtenances on the property at this time.”

The application estimates event attendance would range from 20 to 200 people.

Parking would be on the property itself. Portable bathrooms would be brought in for all events. Outdoor structures would be temporary tents or arbors.

The property presently operates as a short-term rental. According to its AirBnB listing, the restored colonial home sleeps 13 people with four bedrooms and 2½ bathrooms.

The 10-acre property is surrounded on all sides by more than 1,000 acres of farmland and forestry and is roughly a quarter-mile from its nearest neighbor. Oak Level Acres LLC became the landowner in 2023.