Sallie Heiskell Chambers and her husband, John W. Chambers, were living with her father, James R. Heiskell at Sunset View, north of Moorefield at the time of his death in 1883. Mr. Heiskell willed Sunset View to his son and to his daughter, Sallie, he left his corner lot in the town of Moorefield and $1,000 with which to build a house.
Commonly known at the Dodd House, the Chambers built this Victorian house in 1885. The house was constructed by a Mr. Campbell, of Franklin, WV, with help from Jim Slonaker and Mr. George Eberly of Moorefield. Their names appear on a rafter in the attic with the date of October 22, 1885. It is said Mr. Campbell built an identical house to this one in Franklin, WV. The house sports sawn-wood ornamentation of its door frames and moldings with ornate detail in the craftsmanship of the home. The small panes of the bay windows contain the original multi-colored stained glass.
After the Chambers, the property was purchased by Emma McMechen Cunningham, of McMechen House, in 1919. The most well-known of the house’s owners, and for whom the house is named, S.L. and Eva Dodd purchased the house in 1930. Mr. Dodd served as Agriculture Extension Agent for Hardy County. Present owner, Greg George, purchased the house in 2014 from the Dodd family.
Open Courtesy of Greg George
Location: 204 North Main St. Moorefield
Photo by Albert Mach