The CW disappointed fans and stars alike earlier this year with its unceremonious cancellation of “Legacies” after a four-year run. As Danielle Rose Russell, who played 17-year-old vampire/werewolf/witch “tribrid” Hope Mikaelson, told The Observer, “It certainly didn’t feel like the ending I wanted it to be. We didn’t get a definitive goodbye. But you don’t always get that luxury.” There is currently some good news for “Legacies” lovers, though! Kent Rock Manor, the gorgeous Tudor mansion that masqueraded as Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted throughout the series, has hit the market! The location served as the very heart of the teen-centric supernatural drama, which debuted in 2018 as an offshoot of the network’s highly-popular “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals.”
It is at the exclusive learning facility that Hope and her fellow vampire, werewolf, witch and other supernaturally-gifted students attend school, learning how to both perfect their unique powers and dampen their malevolent urges. As headmaster Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis) explains in episode one, “This school was created so we could shape the minds of young supernatural beings, protect their secret and then send them out into the human world fully equipped to handle it. We are here to prevent these great kids from indulging in their darkest impulses.”
Set in the fictional Mystic Falls, Va., virtually the entire series takes place on the Salvatore campus. Of the academically-focused premise, “Legacies” creator Julie Plec told The Hollywood Reporter, “I didn’t go to boarding school, so movies like ‘Dead Poet’s Society’ always captivated me. I like to say this show is my love letter to ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Buffy,’ delivered in our universe.” Kent Rock Manor certainly proves a highly romanticized setting. Interestingly, the estate wasn’t the first to portray the learning academy, though.
The Salvatore Boarding School actually has a long history with the franchise, initially appearing throughout all eight seasons of “The Vampire Diaries” as the mansion home of brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). It was ultimately transformed into a supernatural educational facility upon Stefan’s passing in the series finale. The school then went on to be featured several times in “The Originals.”
Fans of the two shows aren’t likely to recognize Kent Rock Manor, though, because, in a confusing twist, a different very similar-looking Tudor mansion known as Glenridge Hall was utilized as the Salvatore estate on both. Unfortunately, the historic property was demolished in 2015, much to the chagrin of local preservationists – not to mention the “Legacies” production team, who had to go searching for a suitable stand-in once the series was greenlit.
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Image Credit: Warner Bros. Television -
They found exactly what they were looking for in Kent Rock Manor, an exquisite Tudor bearing an uncanny resemblance to Glenridge Hall located about 35 miles east of Atlanta at 5520 Kent Rock Rd. in Loganville. And the grand estate can now be yours! Featuring five bedrooms and nine baths (six full, three half) spread throughout a whopping 16,750 square feet, the 50-acre compound is being offered by the Target Auction Company for $4.9 million. (Please remember this is a private home. Do not trespass or bother the residents or the property in any way.)
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Image Credit: Heather Dupree, Target Auction Company Originally constructed in 2005, the pad was custom designed by a prominent local homebuilder as a private residence for his family. As such, it is an absolute treasure trove of luxe amenities and was even showcased in a season two episode of “Teen Cribs,” in which the homeowner’s adolescent daughter, Morgan, took cameras on an extensive tour of the place, flaunting such unique features as the petting zoo, the pool and rock grotto, the baseball field (complete with dugouts!) and the 5,760-square-foot gymnasium/indoor basketball court. Considering the overabundance of extravagance that can be found on the premises, it is no surprise that Kent Rock Manor is reported to have been one of the MTV show’s “most talked-about” homes.
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Image Credit: Heather Dupree, Target Auction Company Flush with striking custom woodwork, the estate is a cornucopia of ornate craftsmanship, which becomes evident with one step across the threshold! A whirlwind of timber, the formal entry is sheathed in glorious paneled walls, ceiling and flooring, all encircling a grandiose staircase that dramatically twists its way to the levels above and below. Prospective buyers not keen on traversing such a massive set of steps on a daily basis needn’t worry – the home also comes equipped with an elevator.
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Image Credit: Heather Dupree, Target Auction Company The living spaces, all similarly awash with fine woodwork, include a family room capped by a dramatic arched ceiling, a formal dining room with a large sitting area, a billiards room, a wine-tasting room, a “gazebo-style” breakfast room and, for the car enthusiast, multiple auto galleries.
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Image Credit: Heather Dupree, Target Auction Company Standing adjacent to the family room is the gorgeous chef’s kitchen, an expansive enclave featuring such tony creature comforts as a six-burner Wolf range with double ovens, an integrated Sub-Zero refrigerator and freezer, granite counters, two islands and more cabinet space than one could possibly know what to do with, all of it custom-designed, of course.
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Image Credit: Heather Dupree, Target Auction Company Taking up a significant portion of the main level, the sprawling owners’ suite is composed of an ample main room, a turreted sitting area, his and her closets and a bath with a walk-in shower and a standalone jetted infinity tub.
Vaulted and coffered ceilings, colossal stone fireplaces, sweeping archways, inlaid flooring and handpainted murals are fashioned throughout the estate and a wine cellar, indoor pool and sauna can also be found on the premises.
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Image Credit: Heather Dupree, Target Auction Company Outside, the lush grounds are inundated with even more plush amenities. Along with the aforementioned pool, grotto and baseball field, there are four putting greens, a 2.5-acre lake, a three-car garage with an attached one-bedroom carriage house, a secondary six-car garage, a 1,730-square-foot guest residence, two one-bedroom apartments, sweeping grassy expanses and multiple patios and terraces.
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Image Credit: Heather Dupree, Target Auction Company Tailor-made for those seeking a residence with built-in passive income, Kent Rock Manor is being marketed as a possible special events venue, bed and breakfast or movie set, with the listing noting it generated an incredible $1.1 million in filming revenue from 2021 to 2022 alone! With a 20-acre parking lot perfectly suited for use as a production base camp, a plethora of additional open acreage and myriad diverse landscapes and backdrops, it is no wonder the place became a staple on “Legacies.”
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Image Credit: Heather Dupree, Target Auction Company Serving as the series’ central location, Kent Rock Manor appears in nearly every episode as Hope, along with twin witches Lizzie (Jenny Boyd) and Josie Saltzman (Kaylee Bryant), vampire Milton ‘MG’ Greasley (Quincy Fouse) and their many friends and frenemies navigate their way through supernatural teen life. The production made copious use of the property, featuring the exterior in regular establishing shots of Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted, as well as shooting scenes on the baseball field, in the pool and grotto and in front of the carriage house.
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Image Credit: Warner Bros. Television Don’t go looking for the school’s basement jail cell – or “werewolf transition space” – on the premises, though. Only the exterior of the estate appears on “Legacies.” All of the scenes involving the inside of the learning facility were lensed on an elaborate set created by production designer Bill Eigenbrodt and loosely modeled after the interior of Glenridge Hall. Regardless, the sale of Kent Rock Manor presents an exclusive opportunity for any diehard fan to make Salvatore Boarding School for the Young & Gifted their own!