Maymont

Architect: Edgerton S. Rogers
Dates: 1890-1893
Address: 1700 Hampton Street, 2201 Shields Lake Drive

Maymont was built in 1890 as the Gilded Age estate of millionaire businessman and philanthropist James H. Dooley. The mansion was built for himself and his wife, Sallie May Dooley, and named in her honor.

The 100 acre estate was a dairy farm up until it was purchased by Dooley in 1890. Architect Edgerton S. Rogers of Richmond was commissioned to build a 33 room mansion on the highest hill on the property. From this vista the Dooleys could survey the James river or descend into any of their gardens at will. The house is eclectically Victorian in style, favoring the rusticated stonework and steep gables of the then popular Romanesque.

During the decades that the Dooley’s inhabited the home, increasingly elaborate and exotic gardening programs were carried out. The family’s collection of art and oddities from around the world grew simultaneously and now contains pieces ranging from Tiffany vases to a jewel box that is said to have belonged to Marie Antoinette. The most impressive pieces in the estate are the many species of trees collected by James Dooley on his travels abroad.  The couple lived in the mansion until 1925 when they passed away. The Dooleys willed the estate, gardens and all, to the City of Richmond and its people.

Now a city park, Maymont is eminently accessible. Close to density of Richmond’s urban core and just across the Nickel bridge from the largely suburban south side, the estate serves as a welcome respite to city residents. Within the confines of the park, visitors can tour the historic home and grounds, or spend time at the children’s zoo, nature center, or the always popular Italian and Japanese gardens. The park attracts well over half a million people each year and admission is free.

Maymont was recognized in 2011 as one of the ten best public spaces in the country by the American Planning Association.

D.OK.
Photos by M.F.A.