A former Mathews couple has given the county a gift that should serve county residents for years to come.

Tony and Judy Hannold of Richmond donated their former estate, Samarkand, to the Mathews Community Foundation. Proceeds from its sale will be divided between the foundation’s unrestricted endowment and its Tony & Judy Hannold Fund to Alleviate Poverty, with the unrestricted fund receiving 90 percent of the money.

Foundation chair George Groseclose said the donation is “a spectacular gift,” and former chair Bob Roper called it “transformative.”

“It’s going to mean a lot to the community and to the community foundation,” said Roper.

The circa 1927 five-bedroom Colonial Revival home sits on 14 landscaped acres on Woodas Creek. The property is listed by Long & Foster Real Estate for $1.3 million.

Judy Hannold described Samarkand as a “wonderfully light, open house with...