The Dooley Mansion

The Dooley Mansion (unknown)

The Dooley Mansion (2016)

Site Name: Dooley Mansion

Date of Construction: 1893

Reason for Construction: The Dooley’s acquired farmland near the James River where they planned to build a home for themselves.

Site History: In 1886, the Dooley’s first saw the land that would become their future home. Construction of the Dooley Mansion was completed in 1893 and the Dooley’s lived there until 1925. The mansion was located on a 100 acre piece of land. The actual mansion is 12,000 square feet and includes 33 rooms. James Dooley died in 1922, and Sallie Dooley continued to live there until her death in 1925. When she died, the mansion and the land was given to the city to become a public park. This is a rare site because no other families or other services have been able to take over the mansion and it is one of the only completely intact examples of an estate from the Gilded Age. However, all of the blueprints or construction plans have been destroyed. There is very little documentation of any aspect of the Dooleys’ lives and because of that, it is unknown if they ever had any children that died as infants.

Area History: The area was used as farmland that was able to grow a wide variety of crops due to the nutrient rich soil from the James River. Later, after the Dooley’s obtained the land, they built a mansion to live in. Sallie Dooley wanted a mansion and James decided to build it for her at this beautiful site.

What About the Site has Changed?  The site is no longer farmland but has turned into a tourist attraction. The park now has a botanical garden, japanese garden, italian garden, and a petting zoo. Also, the mansion itself now has more modern lights and other things to accommodate tourists, but they have tried to keep it as authentic as possible.

What about the surrounding area has changed?  Richmond City has changed a lot as time has changed. There are full neighborhoods around Maymont Park and a couple elementary schools close by. Richmond has become a booming city for students, professionals, and families. It is now the location of many museums, tourist attractions, and historical sites.

Reflection: This project really opened our eyes to the historical value of Richmond. The Dooley mansion is a historical site that the city has been able to preserve. With this unique building it gives the visitors a chance to see how we have advanced and what it was like to live during the 19th century. This site also portrays the effects of change. At first it was farmland, then a house, and now it is a historical site that has added a variety of different types of gardens from different cultures. Also, it is amazing how well Richmond has been able to preserve the site and make it such a beautiful location for tours or to just relax and have a picnic. It is also interesting that the Dooleys donated their mansion and their property for this purpose. They wanted to share the home that they loved so much with the future of Richmond, Virginia.

Sources:

"An American Estate." Maymont. Accessed February 16, 2017. https://maymont.org/estate/.

Chaser, Lloyd C. Dooley Mansion, Maymont Park, Richmond, VA. Photograph. Etsy.

    Accessed March 19, 2017. https://www.etsy.com/listing/294532551/

    dooley-mansion-maymont-park-richmond-va.

Majer, Jeff. "History Replays Today: Maymont History, Part 2." Richmond Times Dispatch, May 13, 2014. Accessed February 16, 2017. http://www.richmond.com/ discover-richmond/article_7ca460b6-d9d1-11e3-89de-001a4bcf6878.html.

"Maymont." Maymont | American History Lives at. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://www.americanheritage.com/content/maymont.

"Maymont Mansion." Maymont. 2017. Accessed March 19, 2017. https://maymont.org/ estate/mansion/.

"Maymont." Maymont - Virginia Is For Lovers. September 20, 2016. Accessed March 19, 2017. https://www.virginia.org/Listings/HistoricSites/Maymont/.

Authors: Anna Soffin and Hunter Taylor