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.”
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.”
Per Dirt, 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.
Sources: The Observer, Dirt, The Hollywood Reporter