History of the Property

The original Victorian house located at 5901 Sardis Road was built in 1895 by Dr. R. G. Miller, the pastor of Sardis Presbyterian Church. The property was deeded to his 8 grandchildren and remained in the Miller family for over 71 years.

In 1966, Rufus Dalton purchased the property and sold most of the land to builders. The Downing Place neighborhood sits upon the Miller family’s farm land.

The Homeplace

Bed & Breakfast

In the early 1980s, the house was bought and restored by Frank and Peggy Dearien. The Deariens offered the extra bedrooms to guests and named the home the Homeplace Bed & Breakfast. The Inn was extremely popular, known for its hallmark rockers, wraparound porch and a country Victorian interior.

Frank Dearien still frequents the property to tell stories of its history and honor the memory of late Peggy Dearien.

Whitehead Manor

In 2004, Mike Whitehead, an avid jogger, lived nearby and routinely cut through the property to look at the house during his runs. As the Deariens were ready to retire, Mike, his wife Beth, and his children Austin and Leah spent two years remodeling the home. Since 2004, this history-rich building has also served as the home of The Center for Intentional Leadership, a leadership and culture development firm.

Conference Center Added

In 2008, Mike and Beth Whitehead officially opened a brand new, 5000 square foot conference center. The Conference Center is adjacent to and inspired by the original 1895 Victorian home and shares the Manor’s special sense of privacy. The conference center was built to complement the history and hospitality of the original Manor house, offering grand porches and a connecting breezeway.

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Contact Our Team

Ben Klein

Shelby Emanuele

Cristina Montero

Kimberley Tagliaferri