Sandusky House - Lynchburg, Virginia - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Charles Johnson built this home in 1808 and named it “Sandusky,” to commemorate his escape in 1790 from the Shawnees who had held him captive on Lake Erie near a frontier settlement called Sandusky. A French-Canadian trapper bartered with the Shawnee and eventually secured Johnson’s release. Johnson made his way back to Virginia, but stooped first in New York to report his adventure to President George Washington.

Johnson built “Sandusky” in 1808 and lived here until 1818, when he sold the property and moved west to Botetourt County, Virginia. The property changed hands several time until George Hutter purchased the property in the mid-1830’s, and remained in the Hutter Family for the next 5-generations.

In June 1864, Sandusky was owned by George C. Hutter and served as headquarters for Union General David Hunter, who had been ordered by General U. S. Grant to capture and destroy Lynchburg’s transportation facilities. On his way to Lynchburg, General Hunter stopped in Lexington an burned the Virginia Military Institute and as his troops neared Lynchburg, they looted nearby Poplar Forest, which was once the vacation retreat owned by President Thomas Jefferson. Hunter’s delay at V.M.I. and Poplar Forest allowed Confederate General Jubal Early to move his troops from Charlottesville to Lynchburg, arriving well ahead of Hunter’s troops.

General Early and his troops successfully held Lynchburg, and on June 19, 1864, General Hunter left Sandusky and began his retreat through Bedford and across the Peaks of Otter, through the southern Shenandoah Valley and across the Allegheny Mountains and eventually into southern West Virginia. Members of General Hunter's staff present during the occupation of Sandusky were Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley, both would go on to become President of the United States.

Sandusky remained in the Hutter Family until 1952, when it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Neville Adkinson. The Adknson’s gradually modernized the house, adding heating and air conditioning, and new bathrooms. Even though the Anderson’s modernized the house, they was always mindful of the home’s historic past. In 2000, Mrs. Adkinson, decided that it was time to sell the historic home and made it clear that it should be sold to someone who had an interest in preserving the homes historic past and making it available to the public.

Today, Sandusky is maintained by the Historic Sandusky Foundation and is open to the public on Sunday’s from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Street address: 757 Sandusky Drive Lynchburg, Va. United States 24502 County / Borough / Parish: Lynchburg Year listed: 1982 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture, Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1899 - 1874 Historic function: Domestic Dwelling Current function: Historic Dwelling/Museum Privately owned?: yes Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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