Rural Virginia revisited
I got to thinking of offbeat places I discovered when I lived Virginia that probably would not appear in the travel guide. I kept thinking of "Swannanoa". There is a Swannanoa in North Carolina as well, quite a popular name around the Ashville area, and there probably was a connection to this lesser known spot through its original owner, but that is another story.
Swannanoa estate is just past the crest of Afton Mountain, the peak in the Blue Ridge/Skyline Drive (South/North) that the old route 250 and the interstate cross near Charlottesville / Waynesboro. (This is near the valley made famous by the "Waltons") You would hardly know it is there if someone didn't show you off the main drag. As my mind's eye remembers it, it is a sort of Romanesque, villa-esque type of place, solid stone all over the place, fairly formal looking, with a circular courtyard in back surrounded by capped columns. It was a little run down then, maybe overgrown. It was told to me that it was a mansion at one time, and was going to be made into a convention hall when redone or something, but that some relatives or owners did spend time there. I got this friendly but spooky feeling while there almost wanting to call the Ghostbusters.
I found the following on a website after some intense googling:
Swannanoa
Swannanoa "palace" was built about 1912 on top of Afton Mountain. The 52-room building was commissioned by James Dooley of "Maymont" in Richmond. The contractor was M.R. Ellis of Waynesboro. Virgil Moyer, Sr. of Waynesboro was the plumbing contractor. Swannanoa was built of Italian and Georgian marble in the Italian Renaissance style. After the Dooleys died in the 1920s, the estate was sold. Attempts were made to turn it into a country club. A golf course that still exists was built. President Coolidge and his wife visited Swannanoa during a Thanksgiving holiday. In 1949 Walter (1871-1963) and Lao Russell (1904-1988) leased the palace for the Walter Russell Foundation which in 1957 became the University of Science and Philosophy now located in Blacksburg. In 1998 Swannanoa was taken over by the Dulaneys who anticipate turning it into a facility for meetings and special events. Former visitors to Swannanoa also included Norman Vincent Peale and Gloria Swanson.
10 comments:
Well, you have gathered some facts on this place called "Swannanoa", but there's more to tell.
Did you know there were 12 Jesuit missionaries killed on that same spot by a Native American tribe?
Did you know that the place HAS seen it's share of ghosts, strange phenomena, and etc. That feeling you had would make sense. I personally have talked with someone that used to work on the grounds for Walter and Lao Russell. I did my own digging, as you will. Well, he claimed that thier cats never liked going on the third floor of the place.
There's also some conspiracy theories about the place. Conspiracies about "new world orders", "Council of 12"... look that up. One man has claimed to have seen the likes of past presidents and a few other "world leaders" being driven up there.
Oh, and the group that Walter and Lao started believe in one world government and religion as thier main goal. Whatever you may think about that... I think it's very, very, bad news. It's interesting that we have so many things like this about one place. Conspiracies, ghosts, massacres.
Check out this book:"The Ghosts of Charlottesville and Lynchburg: And Nearby Environs by L. B. Taylor" for some of this information I've just divulged. I am sure there is alot more centering on this strange cult and it's founders...
Ever Watchful
Thanks "Watchful" for the information. This all fits with the odd feeing of the place. I need to dig into this whole history some more, but I bet there are more strange happenings and stories out there.
I visited Swannanoa back in the early 80's with a friend who took me there. I had never heard of the place.
We knocked on the door and a young women answered the door. She was our tour guide. She was a rather or should I say very strange person in my estimation.
We also had the privelege to meet the lady of the house. An elderly and very eccentric women came down the steps to see us. She had her little dog with her. She didn't talk to us for very long and I wanted to get out of there because frankly I was very much creeped out! The grounds were very nice, even though it was in February or March. It has been so long ago that I can't remember every little detail.
I never forgot the place though!
I VISITED HERE IN THE MID 90'S AFTER I WENT TO MAYMONT IN RICHMOND. MY BROTHER GOT MY INTEREST UP AFTER TOURING MAYMONT AND HE TOLD ME ABOUT SWANNANOA. HE STUDIED THE HISTORY OF MAYMONT SO WE WENT THERE FOR THE TOUR ONE SPRING MORNING. AS WE TOOK THE TOUR MORE PEOPLE LISTENED TO TOM THAN THEY DID THE TOUR GUIDE. HEWAS POINTING OUT LITTLE DETAILS THE GUIDE MISSED. AFTER THE TOUR HE TOLD ME ABOUT ABOUT THE PALACE MY WIFE AND I HAD TO SEE FOR OURSELVES.THE PALACE'S BEAUTY WAS BEYOND WHAT I HAD IMAGINED. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN NEED OF REPAIR IT WAS BREATH TAKING. THERE WAS ONLY 2 WOMEN THERE ALONG WITH A FAMILY OF 4 THAT HAD STOPPED AT THE VISITORS CENTER DOWN THE HILL FROM THE PALACE.WE WERE THERE FOR ABOUT 2 HRS AND I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE.THE LAST TIME WE STOPPED IT WAS CLOSED AND MARKED PRIVATE PROPERTY. I HOPE SOMEONE REOPENS IT SOON !
I visited back in the spring of 2000 and peeked in windows and walked the grounds. It was in rough shape the beautiful stain glass window was still there but I hear it has been removed.
I am so attracted to that beautiful mansion and want to see the inside desperately.
Please someone, guide me to the right people so I can take one last look at this perfect palace.
TD
How fun to find a blog on "The Palace", (this is what me and my sisters called it) We lived on top of Afton Mountain, Virginia in what was known as "The Carriage House". Even further up the mountain was the actual stable, and slave quarters. The entire top of the mountain belonged to the Swannanoa Estates. All of the previous owners have been very strange and eccentric. We explored the grounds and enjoyed living in our 2 story stone carriage house for about 4 years. The winters were harsh and made you feel as if you were the only people around for miles. This was around 1985, and the palace was open for tours if you called and made arrangements first. I am able to find many pictures of the palace, but there is no detail of the entire plantation. If you get a chance to travel to the great Afton Mountain, very near the skyline drive in Virginia... find the palace... it's glorious, spooky, and mysterious!
Thanks, comment posters, for enriching this story with your personal notes. I love my memories of this place, and want to return when I visit the area again. There have to be more strange tales to be found, I can feel it.
I, too, visited Swannanoa back in the early 90's. It's been closed to the public now for quite awhile though. There's a sign at the bottom of the driveway to the mansion that says "No Trespassers", but just this week, my curiosity got the best of me, and my husband and I drove up the driveway hoping we wouldn't end up in the Augusta county jail.
Seeing the mansion again gave me such a feeling inside - I can't decide if it was a good feeling or an eerie one, although my heart is leaning toward the good feeling.
It is a beautiful piece of architecture. We saw one light on in what I assumed was the kitchen, and one car parked in the back of the mansion. The front doors have been since boarded up, and even the boards are showing signs of wear and tear - water damage, etc. As I saw the mansion when it was "alive", it was heartbreaking to see it as it is now.
The porches are falling - yes that strong marble is fading away. The only color I could see in the beautiful garden courtyard area was the blue hue on the garden walls.
I said to my husband, "If I ever see an ad in the paper that the owners are seeking help in fundraising to restore the mansion - I'll be the first in line!" That place warrants a grant from the historic preservation.
For those of you who did not get to experience Swannanoah before it closed to the public, you missed a site to behold.
What a priceless place.....no matter what the history - ghosts, murders, etc., there's something very "enchanting" about Swannanoa!
I'm surprised I couldn't find out more about this place on the web. A bunch of my friends & I came across this place on a trip to a music festival in 1977. I still have the pictures. It was all very surreal. It was very beautiful, but very strange. The Tiffany window was incredible! It's sad to think that such a grand old place is falling apart.
I visited there many times, and there was something different about the palace. A beautiful place, but very dark inside. Sure wish someone would open it to the public again.
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