Dover Hall, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Aug 16th 2007 at 1:02PM

Dover Hall, the home of entrepreneur Dennis Pryor, was no quick build. This 30,000 square-foot home took over five years to create. The country estate is located in the Virginia enclave of Manakin-Sabot on 55 acres of land. The home has the look of a Tudor manor and is home to a wide variety of antiques including a 19th century French iron chandelier, an 18th century gothic entrance door, vintage fireplace mantels, vintage chandeliers and all sorts of other touches that help give the new home an older feel.

The home was still construction in 1999 when the Wall Street Journal talked to Pryor about the construction of the 30-foot-by-60-foot catering kitchen which would be connected to the home's formal kitchen by an elevator and a staircase. Pryor was also profiled in 2006 in the Virginia Business magazine talking about his wine cellar, a dark stone room that features racks of wine, behind glass doors facing a unique dining area.

Most homes have bedrooms, this one has named suites, each with a distinctive style. There is an Edwardian suite, an Arts and Crafts suite with William Morris printed wallpaper, a Victorian suite, a Renaissance suite and of course an impressive master bedroom that includes two level his and hers dressing chambers with bathrooms. The basement area include a portrait gallery, pub bar, the wine cellar, a tap room, lounges and a ballroom. This home is listed at $11.5 million ($14 million including all the furnishings). After the jump, fit for a modern king.

[Thanks, Shawn]

Tags: dennis pryor, DennisPryor, dover hall, estate of the day, luxury real estate, virginia real estate

Filed under: Estates

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Adam Aug 16th 2007 2:28PM

Looks great. A modern Castle

Spectacular Bid Aug 16th 2007 2:39PM

To the comment: "… that help[s] give the new home an older feel." .. I would've advised Mr. Pryor to explore using more landscaping. Trees are not evil and this place is far too vertical and stark on the site to not stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.

The façade needs help and ivy covered walls and chimney would also aide the properties spanking new feel and quirky architecture. In the golden era of the American country house movement owners sought all types of way to make new homes look like they've been there for centuries. Edsel Ford lamented that he couldn’t get moss to grow on his slate roof to perfect the Cotswold feel. Others went so far as to put on roofing with visual imperfections, etc. See the building of Stan Hywet Hall for example.

To me Dover Hall just looks like a slightly amateurish attempt to create something historic and grand. No doubt a lot of money was selectively poured into some items like the fireplaces but otherwise the furnishing and some interior accents are fitting. While not my taste, it does work if you want to live in your own Medieval Times sans jousting in the front yard.

liz Aug 16th 2007 5:39PM

Not a big fan of the Tudor style. I'll take the trailer park house by the ocean over this one.

rip Aug 16th 2007 6:12PM

Hmm, not that bad inside. Looks like there are some nice architectural details.

However, the outside is completely bland.

And, apparently, 11 million gets you a sweet wine cellar, but not a tree.

K Aug 17th 2007 12:32PM

Spec Bid, your comments are usually right on the money, and especially so here. You stated it perfectly.

Quenn Aug 18th 2007 5:06AM

I've actually been here....I got a tour a few years ago. The rooms work a lot better in person than in these photos; I wouldn't have chosen these views to show it off. Some of the bedrooms and their accompanying master closets, the solarium, and the catering kitchen are top notch. The landscaping is nonexistent but Manakin Sabot is horse country in Virginia so large uninterrupted fields for riding and fox hunting are pretty common among older families there. Also, because their are so many historic homes in the area decorating the exterior to fake age a new house is considered a real faux pas. That might work in a relatively newer housing market like California but in an area with plenty of pre revolutionary war homes it sticks out like a sore thumb. It's not my taste, but its really a home designed for entertaining large groups on the opening floors with private apartments for the family on the top level and in that way it works.

Mary Aug 23rd 2007 2:47AM

Well I think it's great, but it does need a bit on the outside, doesn't it? Not to be false, or misleading anyone on the age, but just to finish it off a bit.

Too bad there isn't more room for enough pictures to really show off the inside. What a great home.