Magnolia House at Saint George is a grande dame who has borne witness to American politics, filmmaking, and writing since before the Civil War. Situated atop a hill in the Saint George neighborhood of Staten Island, she was built in the 1840s when the area was a thriving summer resort. Magnolia House is wildly unlike any AirBnB we have ever visited, a place you experience to imagine yourselves in the company of those who came before, such as writers Henry James and Theodore Dreiser, actress Pearl White (star of The Perils of Pauline), filmmaker Edwin Porter, and prominent political figures.

Perhaps the greatest honor of a stay at Magnolia House was to be the guest of the two authors who wrote the book on the place. Danforth Prince is the Innkeeper and president of Blood Moon Productions (a publishing venture) and Darwin Porter is the famous writer who lives on the third floor and who every morning created for us a magnificent fruit bowl for breakfast. Chatting with Danforth was the high point of our visit. He is the consummate host who makes his guests feel very welcome.
Naturally, aged grande dames have their idiosyncrasies, which call for tolerance. But of course it would be discourteous to speak of such things. But we can say that our experience at Magnolia House was grand. It was a pleasure and a privilege which we will never forget. We highly recommend that our fellow adventurous travels stay in this “one of a kind” AirBnB for a truly unique experience.