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The goal of the Dunnington Mansion Foundation is to help preserve and potentially restore the property, while promoting the history around it. They hope to do that now by turning it into an events and education center, even though the foundation doesn’t own the building. 

Earlier this year, the current owners of the mansion and surrounding property, Blue Spot LLC, had discussed giving the mansion and three acres surrounding it to the foundation. However, that came to a halt in mid-November, as three developers reached out to Blue Spot, expressing interest in buying the land, mansion included. Despite that change, the foundation is moving forward with their special use permit application, with the support of Blue Spot. 

“We were already underway with the special use permit application and we do feel this application will benefit whoever ends up owning the mansion in the future,” said Heather Beach. She serves as president of the Dunnington Mansion Foundation. “And it will make the transfer process to another organization if it’s not us fairly easy, so we do think it’s beneficial to go on.”  

Breaking it up into two parts

What the Dunnington Mansion Foundation is asking for is split up into two parts. They have one set of events they want to be able to hold now, with funds set aside for what Beach calls the “hopeful rehabilitation” of the property. Then there’s a second set of events they would plan to hold if they do become owners of the mansion. 

So Phase One events would include holding educational seminars on site, photography workshops, private photography rentals, historic home and garden tours of less than 50 people, small music or art festivals, small weddings of less than 20 people and holiday themed events like a haunted trail or a Christmas tour. For Phase Two, the events would include larger weddings, class or family reunions, conferences, business meetings and private gatherings like birthdays, graduation events, baby or bridal showers. Again, those are all if the foundation secures ownership and is able to rehabilitate the mansion. 

Is this normal? 

Prince Edward County Planner Robert Love said it’s more common than you think, having someone apply for a permit involving a property they don’t own. 

“If you look at the application, you have an applicant and an owner,” Love said. However, he adds that the owner of course has to be in support of the project. “I will not take an application if it is not signed by a representative of the owner.” 

So what happens if the permit gets approved and then the Foundation doesn’t get ownership of the mansion? Love said that would be up to the new owners. 

“The special use permit will be assigned to the Dunnington Mansion Foundation,” Love said. “If they don’t take ownership, if someone else takes ownership, that next entity can send us a letter in writing, agree to the conditions and we would apply the special use permit.”  

As for the house’s condition, Prince Edward County did an inspection of the site earlier this week. It says that while the house is in “distressed condition”, it should be ok for special uses like haunted tours, weddings or movie sets. County officials just advised requiring a yearly safety inspection, to make sure the conditions don’t deteriorate. That was added as part of the requirements for a special use permit, with Beach saying the Foundation had no problem with it. She said anyone who enters the property has to sign a liability waiver. Plus, portions of the house are sealed off for safety. 

“The basement and attic are permanently sealed off,” Beach said. “Even when we do our tours, self guided, members of the public are physically unable to enter the most dangerous portions of the house.” 

She added that the Foundation also acquired liability insurance for the property this week. 
With no one speaking in opposition, the planning commission recommended approval of the permit, sending it to supervisors for a vote. 

A look at Dunnington Mansion history 

So what do we know about the Dunnington Mansion, located at 971 Manor House Drive? The 53 ft. tall mansion is two stories, with a basement and attic. Ownership of the property dates back to 1748, when Richard Woodson received a land grant from King George II. Richard willed it to his daughter Agnes, who later married Francis Watkins. That name may sound familiar in this area, as Francis was a founding trustee of Hampden-Sydney College. He also served as deputy clerk of court and then clerk of court for Prince Edward County in those early years after revolution. As Prince Edward’s clerk of court, Francis used the mansion for his office.
It passed down to Henry Watkins, Francis and Agnes’ grandson, in 1826, then to Henry’s brother Frank in 1849. Frank and his wife then sold the property to Capt. John Knight Jr. in 1860. 

Knight in turn left the mansion to his daughter India and son-in-law, Walter Grey Dunnington. It was during this time, in 1897, that the current mansion was built. Dunnington extensively renovated the home, adding on four rooms, a massive tower and stately front entrance. This also changed the orientation of the house, switching from north/south to east/west. The front of the house now faces west. After India’s death in 1960, the home was auctioned off and bought by the Bolt family, who owned it until 2000. Then it changed hands several times after that, from 2000 to 2021. At that point, the Community Development Authority purchased the property to build the Manor Golf Course.  

The current Blue Spot ownership group has allowed the Foundation to care for the mansion and use it to raise funds to help with small stabilization projects and to spread awareness of its forgotten history and current situation.

What’s next for Dunnington Mansion?

By unanimous vote, with Chairman John Prengaman abstaining since he serves on the Foundation board, the commission recommended approval of the application. So now it goes to the Prince Edward Board of Supervisors for a vote. That discussion will start at their Jan. meeting, set for Jan. 14, 2025.