Dunnington Manor
This gate was once an impressive entrance to the grounds.
In 1784 Richard Woodson bought a parcel of land and built the first home, a small four room house, called Poplar Hill, on the property. It was passed down through the family for almost a century before being sold in 1860 to Captain John Knight. In 1897, the property was left to his daughter, India Wycliffe Knight, and son in law, Walter Grey Dunnington.
Although it’s showing signs of decline, it’s still an impressive view.
An extensive renovation followed, basically rebuilding the new home around the existing structure, for a total of 14 rooms and 8,500 square feet of living space. The house’s redesign borrowed elements from Romanesque Revival, Italianate, and Victorian architectural features. At that time Mr. Dunnington was a very prosperous tobacco farmer and could easily afford these renovations.
This side view is as commanding as the front.
His wife, it is said, was an enthusiastic gardener and the atrium was built for her hobby. It had ledges for her plants and the ceiling of the atrium could be opened by a hand crank to let in more sunshine, or rain if need be.
This view of the back of the house gives you a better idea of how large it was.
Mrs. Dunnington had a fondness for social gathering and was known for throwing lavish fetes. Picture in your mind the arrival of guests in horse drawn carriages. Which were then stabled under the house.
Sadly the home has been considered for restoration by several groups of investors over the years, but nothing yet has come from these efforts, and the property continues to deteriorate and may soon reach a point where it would simply be too costly to restore.
One can wonder if Mrs. Dunnington still frequents her atrium and documents her visitors…
There is a web site with lots of information on this property, and the efforts to preserve it. Go here: https://dunningtonmansion.org/
And John Plashal does offer guided tours of the property: https://www.johnplashalphoto.com/
And a sad commentary on this house and others like it: https://dunningtonmansion.org/death-of-a-mansion
