Experience authentic Dawn Manor dining inspired by Victorian elegance
Named for the year Dawn Manor was built by Captain Abraham Vanderpoel, the 1855 Room blends historic sophistication with modern comforts. This space offers a refined setting that honors the past while welcoming today’s guests in style.
Photo: Wisconsin Historical Society, WHI-36341
About the Original Dawn Manor
In 1855, Abraham Vanderpoel, a signer of the Wisconsin Constitution and a prominent member of the Wisconsin Assembly, bought the land for Dawn Manor for $1,500 from Henry W. Tenney in Newport, Wisconsin. He had a Potsdam sandstone home constructed and moved in with his family shortly after. Vanderpoel and his family lived there until 1865 when Enoch and Rhoda Chaffee purchased the home from them.
The village of Newport began to vanish by 1860 as residents abandoned it for what would become Wisconsin Dells. Eventually, Dawn Manor was the last remaining structure. Dawn Manor was turned into a rental property, a resort, and a country club.
By the time it was sold to Helen Raab in the 1940s, Dawn Manor had fallen into disrepair. Helen restored the manor and it stayed in the Raab family until it was sold to Uphoff Resorts in 2018.
In 2022, Dawn Manor was deconstructed and placed in storage for preservation until it was reconstructed at its current site on Mirror Lake as a restaurant, bar, and speakeasy.
Bottom right photo: Dells Country Historical Society
1855 Room Features
Seats up to 22 guests at multiple tables
Located on the main level
Gas fireplace
Available for private events or group reservations
The 1855 Room Art and Displays
Dawn Manor was first constructed in 1855, and the original floor plan of the house as well as the original Potsdam sandstone has been carefully deconstructed, stored, and reconstructed to preserve this famous local mansion. In this room you will find many framed photographs of the home from the Helen Raab era, recognitions of Raab’s 100th anniversary celebration of Dawn Manor, and media coverage of Helen Raab’s journey to Europe for the 335th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower. A hand drawn 1856 map and key of the lost City of Newport is also on display.
