CityView Magazine

The Manor House Abingdon Manor was built by James H. Manning, a prosperous farmer and the first elected South Carolina state senator from Dillon County. The house is one of the county’s largest residences with 10,000 square feet inside and more than 2,000 feet of verandas outside. One of the most unique features of the home are the columns; all 40 were made from trees grown on the Manning land. Construction of the home began in 1902 and took three years to complete. The house remained in the family until 1970 and was known as Aston House in honor of Sen. Manning’s only daughter, Gertrud. In the 1970s and ‘80s, the house served as a bridal shop known as Wedding World until a couple opened it as a bed and breakfast known as The Manning House. Michael and Patty Griffey fell in love with the house in 1995 and purchased it on their very first visit. The rest, as they say, is history. “Everything is so luscious. It’s just been unbelievable.” Cooks go home with the confidence to try recipes at home and a behind- the-scenes glimpse of a four-diamond restaurant. (Try them for yourself using the recipes starting on Page 32.) But for those who can’t afford a weekend cooking school or even a weekend stay, the dining room is open to the public seven nights a week. Start off with a cocktail in one of the intimate parlors or pocket gardens before a 7:30 p.m. seating for course after course of mouthwatering selections: homemade pastas, canapés or tarts for starters, fresh soups and salads and entrees like herb-crusted rack of lamb, grilled beef tenderloin with mango salsa, veal scallopini, grilled shrimp, crab cakes or scallops in an orange and Tequila cream sauce. And that’s barely scratching the surface. The Griffeys even offer gourmet to go – brown-bag lunches that may be picked up and taken on the road. An epicurean I-95, who knew?CV CityViewNC.com | 33

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