Porch at Big House – Wendover Bed & Breakfast
Frontier Nursing University (FNU) announced today Leslie County Betterment, Inc., has accepted the university’s offer to donate the Wendover Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center to them for the benefit of the people of Leslie County. The gift includes all the property and buildings that make up the Wendover Bed & Breakfast and Retreat Center. The total value of the donation is estimated at just under two million dollars. The transfer of the property was completed today, June 30, 2021.
The decision to donate the property was made by the FNU Board of Directors at its meeting on April 29, 2021. The property was the home of Mary Breckinridge and the Frontier Nursing Service. The centerpiece is the “Big House”, which was built in 1925 and is a National Historic Landmark.
“While we are sad to say goodbye to such a significant part of our history, we are extremely happy that the residents of Leslie County will be able to continue to enjoy the beauty of Wendover,” FNU President Dr. Susan Stone said. “We are thankful for the wonderful home that Wendover provided us for so many years and for the memories we will carry with us always. We know that many more fond memories will be created there and that Leslie County Betterment will put the property to continued good use for the benefit of the county and its residents.”
FNU has completed construction on its new campus in Versailles, Kentucky. The land, which was purchased in 2017, was the former home of The United Methodist Children’s Home. The new 217-acre campus maintains FNU’s presence in a rural county while providing more space to serve FNU’s more than 2,500 students.
