Built in 1926, Dunwyck Hall is a 22-room English Tudor Revival residence named “Dun” after the Gaelic-Irish and Scottish word for castle, and “Wyck”, the Dutch and Swedish word meaning “place of abundance.” The home was originally designed by Vivian Devereux Van Akin, one of America’s first female architects, as a winter cottage for prominent Chicagoans Herbert Cushman Metcalf and Mae Holmes Metcalf. Van Akin’s original blueprints reveal a strong affinity for English vernacular architecture and the traditions of country living. Over the decades, additions and improvements were made, ensuring modern comforts while retaining the sense of local history that defines Dunwyck Hall today.

With its 26-foot-high cathedral ceilings and numerous reception rooms, the house was the ideal hub for galas in the Tryon area. During the Metcalfs’ years at the house, Dunwyck Hall welcomed notable guests including author F. Scott Fitzgerald, First Lady Grace Coolidge, composer George Gershwin, actor David Niven and socialite Lady Nancy Astor. Many of the home’s defining features such as locally sourced granite, English-inspired half-timbering, and its grand scale have stood the test of time, a testament to Van Akin’s vision and the skill of the second-generation Biltmore artisans who built it.

Located in Columbus, NC, Dunwyck Hall sits near numerous city amenities. The Tryon International Equestrian Center is 10 minutes away, Hendersonville a short 15 minutes, and Asheville and Greenville are approximately 40 and 55 minutes away, respectively.

The house was intentionally sited so that the Great Hall’s windows capture the morning sun from the east, while the dining room faces west and glows with the setting sun. Original Hope’s steel casement windows imported from England, slate roofing, substantial masonry, half-timbering, and seven fireplaces give Dunwyck Hall substance and architectural character of the English country-house tradition.