The Kenny family were prominent in the Wollombi Township in the second half of the 1800s,  as businesspeople, particularly publicans.
Dennis  operated the “Family Hotel” between  1884 and 1897.

A Racecourse on the edge of town was another of his activities.

By the 1880s he was prosperous enough to commence building this imposing residence and commercial building,but ran out of money before it was finished,  likely influenced by the depression of the 1890s,  so the building became known by the local community as “Kenny’s Folly”.