Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Beach.
Heather, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Yes. I am the founder and President of the historic preservation nonprofit The Dunnington Mansion Foundation. We are a registered 501 (c)(3) organization.
By profession I am a small animal veterinarian and graduated from Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005. I have been in private practice since then. I love old houses and in my free time I like to follow Facebook groups and YouTube channels that explore abandoned houses and their stories.
In 2021 I came across an abandoned mansion on a photography Facebook group. I absolutely fell in love with it and had an overwhelming feeling that I needed to try and save her. I didn’t even know where in Virginia it was located. I reached out to the photographer who posted and learned the location was in Prince Edward County Virginia just outside of the town of Farmville.
I met with the local historical society and started to learn about the 200+ year history of the property and the story behind how it became so neglected. In July of 2021 I formed The Dunnington Mansion Foundation. Joined initially by that photographer and another person passionate about the mansion, we began the mission to save the history of the property and tell the stories of the people who lived and worked there. This preservation effort includes a website (www.dunningtonmansion.org) that has the most comprehensive history available, and we have had three documentaries filmed over the last 3 years (links can be provided if needed).
Property History:
The history is long and complicated. Here is a very abbreviated version for the purposes of this article. A more detailed history and lots of photos can be found on our website www.dunningtonmansion.org
1748 – Richard “Baron” Woodson
Richard Woodson received a 1152-acre land grant from King George II. He built a small, four room wooden house and named the farm Poplar Hill.
1775 – Agnes (Woodson) Watkins
The house and property were willed to Richard’s daughter Agnes and her husband Francis Watkins.
1826 – Henry A. Watkins and James D. and Frances (Watkins) Wood
Francis Watkins willed the property to his grandson Henry A. Watkins. He also awarded his daughter and son-in-law, Frances and James D. Wood, lifetime rights to live on the property. The original brick portion of the home was constructed circa 1830.
1849 – Stays in the Wood Family
Frances and James passed the property to their son Francis (Frank) Wood and his wife Paulina. Between this date and 1860 we now believe two separate brick additions were constructed, one in the 1840s and one in the 1850s.
1860 – Captain John Hughes Knight Jr. and Cornelia Alice Bland
Frank and Paulina sold the property to John Hughes Knight Jr. and his wife Cornelia Alice Bland, thus ending Poplar Hill’s 100+ year history in the Woodson/Watkins/Wood family. Knight was a Captain in the Confederate Army. His daughter India was four years old when they moved into Poplar Hill.
1892 – Captain Knight willed the property to his daughter India and her husband Walter Grey Dunnington. Walter was one of Virginia’s prominent tobacco barons. His tobacco warehouses are still part of the downtown Farmville community currently housing Charley’s Waterfront Café and Green Front Furniture.
1897 – Expansion/Renovation
Mr. Dunnington extensively renovated the house, creating the sprawling mansion that is seen today. He added four rooms, the conservatory, the massive tower and stately front entrance.
1922 – 1960 – India Dunnington
After his death in 1922, Walter willed the house to his wife. The house would remain with India Dunnington until her death in 1960. Her sister Betty also resided at Poplar Hill until her death in 1949.
1960 – 2000 – After India’s passing in 1960 the house and surrounding 1000+ acres were sold in a sealed bid auction. Farmville locals, Glen and Freeda Bolt purchased it. Along with his son Nelson, Glen cleared much of the property and turned it into a working cattle farm. It remained as such for the next 40 years. Glen and Freeda passed the property on to Nelson and his wife Marsha.
2021 – Present
In 2021 the nonprofit organization The Dunnington Mansion Foundation was founded by veterinarian Dr. Heather Beach. With permission from the investor owners the DMF became stewards of the property. We provide security and grounds maintenance. We began to raise funds for potential rehabilitation through private rental to artists/models/photographers/filmmakers and historic tours. In 2024 we entered negotiations with Blue Spot to acquire the mansion and land surrounding it.
In May of 2026, after almost two years of negotiations, the Dunnington Mansion acquired ownership through deed of gift by Blue Spot LLC. This acquisition includes 3.8 acres and the house. The DMF has five years to achieve a certificate of occupancy by the county or ownership will revert to the Blue Spot investor group.
The photography and filmmaking rentals have really flourished in the last year and a half. To date we have hosted:
Two full length movies
Nine music videos
Four professional photography/model shoots
Fourteen ticketed historical tours
Discovery Channel’s Mysteries of the Abandoned episode
Netflix series (currently details cannot be provided as it is in post-production)
Three documentaries about the property’s history and about the DMF
Three student collaborations with local universities
Additional fundraising efforts include grant applications, specialty funding and private donations.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all smooth!!
We have been working for 5 years to get ownership of the property and finally succeeded in May of this year.
Fundraising is the most challenging part of this project and we are proud of the creative ways we are approaching this difficult task.
Our hopes that exposure like this magazine article will provide we are able to expand our artist rental program and potentially capture the eye and heart of an angel investor that takes a special interest in our mission.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My career as a small animal veterinarian has been very rewarding and the work I do for The Dunnington Mansion Foundation is just as rewarding. I am very proud that we have taken a tiny, three-person dream and made huge progress towards the goal of saving the mansion! We now have 9 board members and are getting ready to add a 10th.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For our organization there are two forms of success both defined in our mission statements:
The primary mission of The Dunnington Mansion Foundation is to preserve the historical significance of Poplar Hill for future generations. Our goal is to create a comprehensive resource that tells the amazing history of the property and the inclusive stories of the people who lived and worked there from 1740 to the present. Preservation of this history is accomplished through the Foundation’s website which currently houses the most extensive collection of information on Poplar Hill in existence.
Our secondary mission is to rehabilitate the property into a multi-use event and education center. This model ensures financial sustainability and creates space for community centered projects. We want to ensure future generations have the opportunity to learn from and enjoy this important historical place.
Pricing:
- Professional filming rentals range from $200 to $250 per hour with price breaks for whole or multi-day rentals
- Pricing for historical tours range from $50 to $60 for a two hour tour. We partner with John Plashal Photo for these tours.
- Pricing for photography rentals ranges from $50 to $150 dollars an hour depending on type of event and number of attendees
- Collaborations with students attending higher education institutions are free as part of our community support initiative
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dunningtonmansion.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/kltc5qj5ikg
- Other: https://youtu.be/nV8v99W3_Q4?si=jD7BGtcq4HyIh01v
