Members of the Davis & Elkins College community are familiar with the historic campus mansions of Graceland and Halliehurst. But did you know there’s a third historic home on campus? In 1936, construction was completed on the home of Sue and Thomas Davis Lee, known today as the “Jordan House.” If her walls could talk…
She appears like a hidden gem above the long winding gravel drive off Harpertown Road, on the eastern edge of campus near the Sigma Phi Epsilon lodge. Like the campus’ other storied mansions, the Davis family tree ties all three properties together.
Senator Henry Gassaway Davis completed Graceland in 1893, three years after Halliehurst was constructed by his daughter, Hallie, and son-in-law, Senator Stephen Elkins. Senator Davis’ grandson, Thomas Lee, and his wife, Sue, purchased eight acres from “Aunt Hallie,” hired an architect, and began building their home in 1934.
The stately, 5,000-square-foot brick house was designed in the Georgian Revival style by New York architect Charles E. Wieman. The house features seven bedrooms, spacious living and dining rooms, a library, butler’s pantry, and elegant architectural details such as leaded glass windows, intricate woodwork, and arched doorways. Sue even instructed the workmen to chip each brick by hand to give the home an aged appearance, blending timeless charm with thoughtful craftsmanship.
Thomas and Sue spent many happy years in this elegant home. Grace Lee Jordan, their daughter, recently reminisced about childhood slumber parties in the house, recalling projected slides on the basement walls—a rare private movie showing at the time. She remembers Christmas gatherings with a grand tree in the living room, and many local guests who would attend holiday parties with plenty of eggnog for all. Grace also fondly remembers her blossoming romance with a young man named Bill Jordan who frequently attended parties at the Lee home.
Bill, who grew up in nearby Dailey, had ties to D&E long before he met Grace—his grandfather taught Greek at D&E in its early years, and his mother graduated in the Class of 1927. Beyond attachment to the nearby college, his love for the Lee’s house began during those early courtship years.
After marrying in 1958, Bill and Grace lived across the country, eventually settling in Topeka, Kansas in 1967. They often returned to the Randolph County mountains—and to the house that held so many memories.
A pet cemetery originally located at Graceland for the beloved animals of the extended Davis family was relocated to a hillside near the Lee home. Even while living in Kansas, Grace continued to bury beloved pets there, maintaining a deep connection to her past and the land she loved.
Following Thomas’ death in 1970, Sue continued living in the home until her death in 2003. Inheriting the historic structure, the Jordans returned to Elkins often, restoring the aging home with care. In 2018, during the College’s Secure the Future Capital Campaign, they made the extraordinary decision to donate the home, its contents, and the surrounding eight acres to Davis & Elkins College.
Today, the Jordan House serves as the residence of the College Provost and family—a living tribute to the generosity, love, and legacy of Bill and Grace Jordan.
The journey continues….
Chris A. Wood
President
Davis & Elkins College
