2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 173
Commending Chester and Barbara Ehrenzeller.
Agreed to by the Senate, March 5, 2026
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 9, 2026
WHEREAS, for 50 years, Chester and Barbara Ehrenzeller have helped preserve the history of the Commonwealth as the owners of Broad Bay Manor, which is considered one of the oldest European-built houses in the country; and
WHEREAS, Broad Bay Manor traces its origins to when Thomas Allen, an English trader, received 550 acres of land in what was then Elizabeth City County; he is believed to have built the original house, a one-room, loft-style structure of Flemish bond brick, which was typical for the time period, in 1640; and
WHEREAS, the Cornick family acquired Broad Bay Manor in the late 17th century and constructed a Georgian-style addition to the home around 1770; three generations of Cornicks owned the property until it was purchased by William Dozier of North Carolina in 1847; and
WHEREAS, Enoch D. Ferebee bought Broad Bay Manor from Willoughby Dozier, the son of William Dozier, in 1856, and three generations of Ferebees lived there until 1907; the property changed owners several times between 1907 and 1914, when it was acquired at auction by the Honorable John B. Dey, a former member of the Princess Anne County Board of Supervisors, the Norfolk City Council, and the House of Delegates; and
WHEREAS, John Dey conducted major renovations to Broad Bay Manor, including re-plastering throughout the home and the addition of plumbing and a central coal-fired heating system; he also added a small, two-story addition consisting of a kitchen, bathroom, and library area, and added a sunroom to the original structure; and