Maymont Park

This morning I made a return visit to Maymont Park in Richmond while David attended a meeting.  My first visit was in early Spring one year and the house was not open.  This time I was able to enjoy a guided tour.

It is an imposing house but not enormous.  It was built by Mr and Mrs Dooley, a wealthy couple who wanted a home outside Richmond, where he had made his fortune in the railroad industry.  It is situated above the James River with a large park and terraced garden.

The house was completed in 1890 and is very 'High Victorian' in style, although many of the very grand and ornate furnishings were purchased in Europe and are much earlier in date.    To commemorate the centennial of the year that the American forces entered the war in Europe, there were a number of posters and memorabilia on exhibition in the house.

The house is quite open plan for it's time with this study and a drawing room where Mrs Dooley would entertain friends opening directly from the entrance hall.

No expense was spared in the building, decorating and furnishing of the house.  On a practical level this means that it has bathrooms with flush toilets, electric light and gas central heating, all put in at the time that it was built.

Many items for the house were commissioned from Tiffany of New York, including this extraordinary stained glass window - very difficult to photograph but very beautiful.

The colours are so vivid in the individual panels.

There are istained glass panels above each window - different in each room.  They are not confirmed as Tiffany but it seems likely..

This small glass panel is also not confirmed as Tiffany.  Sadly it represents child mortality.

Upstairs the decoration and furnishing was a little less ornate - but only a little..

Beautiful painted satinwood furniture in wonderful condition and I couldn't help but think of someone who would have loved it..

Mrs Dooley's bedroom was probably one of the more memorable rooms..

That is quite a bed! Quite an impressive bathroom too for the time.

Back downstairs, this is the fireplace in the Grand Hall, often used for receptions.  There was also a back stairs tour of the basement kitchen and servants rooms which demonstrated just how many staff hours were spent supporting the entertainment activity in the household but I will save those photos for another day.

The most remarkable thing about Maymont is that in 1923 it's owners left the house and contents as well as the park to the city of Richmond for the enjoyment of the people.  

Hence it is a very well preserved snapshot of life at that time as well as being a museum of the furniture and art that only serious money could buy.  The Dooleys had no children and the house was lived in for only 30 years.

The peacock on the stairs represents those that used to strut around the park and gardens - more photos of outside another day!