Thornton Tayloe Perry (1863 - 1954) acquired a major portion of Shannondale Springs, and his nephew Thornton Tayloe Perry II (1892 - 1981) had the vision to preserve Shannondale Springs in its natural state. The younger Perry was a dedicated historian and patriot, and a veteran of World Wars I and II. In September 1982, his children, Thornton Tayloe Perry III, M.D., and Eleanor Craighill Perry Read, helped make Shannondale Springs available to the public.