Swannanoa — Attraction in Waynesboro

Last summer we toured Maymont, so it was on our bucket list to tour Swannanoa this summer. With the weather being hot and muggy in the valley, we drove up the Mtn and decided to stop in. Compared to the valley, the grounds were much cooler and there was a nice breeze blowing. Its easy to see how the original owners fell in love with this location.

We arrived around 3:15 and was invited to join the last tour of the day. The first 30-45 minutes of the tour was spent in the music room going over the history of the families, looking at photos, and discussing the ups and downs of the mansion. Since this was a summer house, they reviewed some of the design aspects and how specific materials were chosen for construction. After the brief history lesson, we went on a guided walking tour of the house. This included the Elevator, Library, Persian (Smoking) room, Dining and breakfast rooms, stairway, tiffany window, and the master bedroom. From this point, the walking tour ended, and we were allowed to walk the grounds.

Some sections of the house are being maintained and still shine with its originally beauty. Other sections are original, but in disrepair. It is amazing the seem how well some of the original materials have held up considering the house is over 100 years old.

After reviewing the inside, we walked the grounds, which is mainly grass with marble accents, ponds, and arbors. The gardens are very plain and grown up, but due to their size, it would be a major undertaking to just maintain them.

Our total visit was around 2 hours. It’s a very relaxing place and the tour guide is very knowledgeable about the grounds. I would probably not visit again (unless they had a special program that I was going on), but I would highly recommend stopping in for a tour if you have never...

Updated 5/2021: I stumbled across an article about the detailed history of this home, and after a little digging learned that the reason most of the rooms are not shown on yours is because they're full of the Dulaney's furniture from a dilapidated Howard-Johnson that they own, it's basically a glorified storage unit. I saw a picture of the stables full of garbage and it broke my heart. I learned they have had offers over the years to sell the house to parties/individuals who have the financial means to restore it but have held on to the house out (maybe out of ego and a dream of restoring it, but no means... Maybe a dream of making money from it, who knows?). Either way, such a shame. Reminds me a bit of Grey Gardens in the Hamptons, they just need to sell it to someone who appreciates the history and has the means to see it renewed to its original splendor.

---- original review, Jan 2021----- I was so grateful to the owners for allowing me to reserve a private tour for my fiancé's birthday. He had mentioned wanting to see Swannanoa several times and I felt lucky to reserve a tour. We were able to spend a great deal of time inside, and Mrs. Dulaney was very accommodating but I couldn't help but infer she was tired of showing the home. I felt sorry that she was so burdened by such a lovely historic home. Mrs. Dulaney is such a hospitable woman with plenty of stories to share, and I hope one day the home is able to be restored to its original splendor. I wonder if there are grants and historic preservation funds they could utilize, because it truly does need work 10x over, enough to overwhelm any private owner. A lovely home with a unique story, and we hope to visit again, and see more...

Tucked away on the Afton Mountain is the gorgeous mansion built in 1912. You would miss the mansion if you didn't know about it. Even locals (including myself) have never been there! Well until recently. Visiting the mansion was my birthday gift this year(2019). We took the self guided tour, which we plan to take the guided tour in the future. The moment you pull up to the mansion from the driveway, you are amazed. The marble, the art work, the stained glass, the hand paintings on the walls, down to how the hardwood floor was laid. Every inch of the home is covered in detail!!! Nothing was spared for Mr. Dooley's beloved Salley Mae. And I'm just talking about the house folks. When you step outside, the 3 tier garden is just amazing as the house. The garden comes complete with it's own water fountain that is big as a concert stage. The water tower is just as equal to the rest of the property, along with a natural spring. When you come to visit plan to stay for at least 3-4 hours. Yes folks you read that right. We only had 2 hours before closing, and did not get to see everything. TRUST ME, YOU WILL BE AMAZED AND WILL WANT TO TAKE YOUR TIME LOOKING AT...