Historic Estate

Historic Estate. . (center panel) , The formal entrance drive intersects here with the original service road, which is lined with estate outbuildings. Among the first built by the Dooleys were the Estate Manager's Cottage, the Coop, and the three-story garage in front of you. In the early 1900s, several new structures, designed by Noland and Baskervill, were added: the Carriage House, Stone Barn, Water Tower, Compost House (now the Garden Hall), Fountain Court, and two pump houses., When James and Sallie Dooley lived at Maymont, this area would have been bustling with estate employees, groundskeepers, gardeners, stable hands, coachmen, chauffeur, and domestic staff going to and from the mansion, as well as deliverymen. Although Maymont was not a farm, a few cows, chickens, draft horses, carriage horses, and saddle horses were kept., (left panel) , Garage, The outbuilding in front of you first served as the hub of activity for the estate manager and the groundskeepers who planted and maintained the extensive landscape. On the third were rooms for one or two estate employees and a loft. The tall tower housed a large holding tank for the estate's drinking water which was pumped uphill from a spring of north of the creek, Dooley Branch., Later the Dooleys adapted this building to house their automobiles, which included a Winton limousine, a 1918 Pierce Arrow, and a 1919 Packard Landaulet., (above) An early view of the Garage, ca. 1950-1974. , (left) James R.L. Fitzgerald, shown in his uniform, was the Dooley's chauffer from 1914 to 1917. , The Dooley's Winton limousine, 1916., The Maymont Mansion, The sandstone building to your right was the Dooleys' residence from its completion in 1893 until 1925. The architect was Edgerton Rogers who based his castle-like design on the early medieval Romanesque style. Inside you will see the restored interiors, which display the opulent décor fashionable among millionaires during America's Gilded Age (ca.1873-1918). Upstairs rooms are adorned with splendid detailing such as Tiffany stained glass and treasures left by the Dooleys, tapestries, sculpture, fine porcelain, and richly carved furniture including Mrs. Dooley's famous Swan Bed. Downstairs the kitchen and other restored rooms depict the lives and work of the domestic employees and household conveniences of the time., Maymont Mansion open year round: Tuesday , Sunday, 12-5 pm. Tours begin in the basement., (Upper left) Library , (Below) Swan Room , (Lower left) Kitchen, (right panel) , Landscape and Arboretum, The Dooleys transformed a former dairy farm into an ornamental landscape. They first established parkland with lawns, drives, walkways, and several gazeboes and planted lavish floral displays and specimen trees. In the early 1900s, they enhanced the landscape with the Italian and Japanese gardens, fountains. and many other picturesque elements. The elaborate estate required a high level of maintenance provided by a small army of twenty groundskeepers., The tree collection established by the Dooleys now includes 300 species from all over the world, among them several champion trees. You will find many distinguished trees in this area from the Dooleys’ time. One is the towering California Incense Cedar, (Calocedrus decurrens), to the east., Italian Garden, The flower-lined flagstone path that branches off from the main roadway leads downhill to the Italian Garden. Designed by Noland and Baskervill and completed in 1910, the Italian Garden is one of the glories of Maymont with a dramatic pergola, terraces, floral displays and fountains. A granite arch carved with the Latin Via Florum, meaning "path of flowers," marks its formal entrance., (Top) Incense Cedar , (Right) Italian Garden , (Left) "The Tree Graces," based on a famous work by 19th Century sculptor Antonio Canova , (Below) Via Florum ca. 1935