MAYMONT MANSION & RICHMOND VA

Knowing that we had one more week before leaving the area, we needed to decide what else we would like to see. There were several plantations, only one of which sounded like it had much to it, along with the history. There also was the Maymont Mansion and Park in Richmond. The thirty-three room sandstone mansion located on 100 acres, was completed in 1893. So I opted for the Maymont in Richmond, which we decided to go see on Monday. Oops!! I forgot that the only day of the week that the Mansion was closed is Mondays!! Thus we spent some time walking over the Gardens that were the creation of Sallie May Dooley, wife of John H. Dooley. John was a Richmond attorney and three term legislator. He also joined a group of Richmonders in financing, rebuilding, and expanding the southern railways. Sally May was a serious student of horticulture, a daughter of the tobacco industry monies. They were beautiful but I am sure that they were even more extensive back in the late 1800 and early 1900's when they were first created. The stairway, that went from the gardens down the steep hillside to a Japanese Garden and the railroad tracks, were built of granite as were many of the retaining walls and walkways. Leaving the gardens after Gary's rest and after taking pictures of many of the flowers, we took pictures of the stairway but did not walk down to the Japanese Garden at this time. This view is looking from the bottom of the stairs upward. As we walked around the grounds, we too pictures of statues, gazebos, and the family mausoleum. From the gardens, we looked in at the carriage house and took pictures of some of the carriages and a sleigh. Then before leaving the park we passed this herb garden and took pictures of the outside of the Mansion, not knowing if we would be back to tour the inside. After all, we had many things to crowd into this last week, the front view and the back view. Leaving Richmond, we stopped at an Antique store. But we did not find anything of interest, except some modern novels. However, they wanted too much money for them to suit me. I am cheap when it comes to reading material that I just give away after I am finished with them.(Many campgrounds have book exchange shelves, so I leave them.) After all there is not much storage space in our house!! We also stopped at a Thrift Shop. Now there I found a real bargain!! They had a small pile of Creative Memories scrap booking materials that she offered to me for $3. That was a real steal as I would have spend probably $30 or more to buy it all new! I did share it with another customer and split the cost. But I really think that I got the best end of the bargain!! Five packages of 12 x 12 page protectors, never opened, for $1.50!! Tuesday we stayed at home and I scrap booked and read most of the day, while Gary watched TV and yakked with the campground owners! They are still busy working on the swimming pool with the home of having it in use by July 4th. One night they worked by artificial light until 1 am!! On Wednesday we decided to go back in to Richmond and see the Maymont Mansion. I was also hoping to go to the Cafe' that we had eaten lunch in before, so that we could say "Goodbye" to the gal from Boardman OH who we had met when we were first in Richmond. But we could not find parking near and were tired from the time spent at Maymont, so we headed back home without seeing her again. Maymont Mansion was heavily furnished and we had a nice gentlemen guide to show us around. But as usual, we were not permitted to take pictures. So I sat in the basement at a slide presentation and took pictures from the slides projected, so that you can get an idea of what it was like. The tables were even set as if ready for a meal or a tea party. Mrs. Dooley was well known for her fine entertainment. And the bedroom with the swan bed! This was given by the family who inherited the Dooley's summer home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, called Swannanoa. While we waited for the Mansion tour to begin, Gary walked down to the Japanese Garden and took a few pictures. There is a 45 foot waterfall there, along with the sculptures. After the death of both John Dooley and his wife, this mansion was left to the city of Richmond to use as a park and museum. However, no funds were left to help maintain it. So it is run totally on donations through a Foundation for this purpose. They left their summer home, Swannanoa, to family. But there again, they did not leave money to help maintain it. Being multi-millionaires, we found this to be unusual. Since they never had any children, their monies were left to several charitable causes in Richmond, St. Joseph's Villa, built the Children's Hospital, the Richmond Public Library, and the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. Leaving Maymont Park, we drove back through the downtown area and I took some more photos. We had to get the statue of Robert E Lee also. This building we could see from the freeway, but we never did find out what it is. It is a very attractive old building. Do any of you, who have been to Richmond, know? The house architecture around the city was beautiful also. And then "signs" that this is the capitol of the tobacco industry in the United States. We spent Thursday going back to Williamsburg and Smithfield to do some things we did not do the first time there. Gary went to the William and Mary College Library for genealogy research. In Smithfield, he went to the Art Gallery that he did not have time for before, while I went to the Antique Store that was not open on the day that we had been there before. I am so glad that I got to go back there. It was a very nice large store, very tastefully layed out!! This is the web site for Imagine Art Studios (www.imaart.com) if you are interested. This gallerys art work is colonial, eastern American Indian theme as well as the Civil War. We also had to stop at Walmart for prescriptions. So it was a very full day!! Now Friday is upon us and we must pack as usual. We even turned the motor home around and hooked up the dolly and Jeep so there won't be any hard work in the morning. It has been so unbearably hot here, that we wanted to leaved rested. I think that they said it was 103 degrees yesterday!! I remember those temps when I was a kid, but I don't handle that well now!! See you soon.