Maymont Park

Maymont Park
Location	Entrances at 2201 Shields Lake Drive, 1700 Hampton Street, , Richmond, Virginia
Coordinates	Coordinates: 37°32′7″N 77°28′40″W / 37.53528°N 77.47778°W / 37.53528; -77.47778
Area	100 acres (40 ha)
Created	1925 (1925)
Operated by	Maymont Foundation
Open	Year-round
Website	http://www.maymont.org/
Maymont
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Coordinates:	37°32′5″N 77°28′43″W / 37.53472°N 77.47861°W / 37.53472; -77.47861
Area:	100 acres (40.5 ha)
Built:	1890
Architect:	Edgerton S. Rogers
Governing body:	Local
NRHP Reference#:	71001062[1]
Added to NRHP:	December 16, 1971

Maymont is a 100 acre (0.156 m²) Victorian estate located at 2201 Shields Lake Drive, Richmond, Virginia. It contains Maymont Mansion, now a historic house museum, an arboretum, formal gardens, a carriage collection, native wildlife exhibits, a nature center, and petting zoo known as "The Maymont Children's Farm".

In 1893, Major James H. Dooley, a wealthy Richmond lawyer and philanthropist, and his wife, Sallie, completed their elaborate Gilded Age estate on a site high above the James River. According to their wishes, after their deaths Maymont was left to the people of Richmond. Over the next 75 years, additional attractions were added.

[edit] History

Maymont was named for the Major Dooley's wife, Sallie May.^[2] Construction began in 1890,^[3] with the mansion completed in 1893.^[4]

In 1913, the Dooley's built a "cottage" in Nelson County, Swannanoa, where they would spend their summers.^[4]

The Dooley Noted Society is the young professional group that supports Maymont through cultivation of volunteer, social and fund raising activities.

[edit] The gardens

The Japanese Garden.

The Japanese gardens located at Maymont are well tended and cared for and consist of a koi pond as well as a large waterfall coming down from the terrace. There is an extensive rose garden ending in a large waterfall located on a terrace below the manor. The roses are partially shaded by a wisteria covered pergola. Bamboo forests are a great spectacle in the Gardens

The arboretum dates from the early 20th century, and contains more than 200 species of trees and woody plants. It includes a number of "exotic champions" including a Cedrus atlantica, Cryptomeria japonica, Parrotia persica, and Tilia europea.

Maymont's gardens are popular for outdoor weddings focused around the Italian garden, the Japanese gardens, the waterfalls, or other numerous gazebos located throughout the grounds.

[edit] Fauna

In addition to the farm animals that it keeps in the Children's Farm, Maymont is the permanent home of several animals that are native to the Commonwealth. Many of these have been severely injured and are otherwise unable to fend for themselves in the wild, while a few were given to the park after becoming nuisances in neighboring localities. These animals include several birds of prey including the bald eagle, bobcats, black bears and foxes. Visitors are also able to see white-tailed deer, elk, peacocks and American bison that have been adopted by the park and are featured in habitats around the park.

• 

  A view from Maymont.

• 

  Maymont in the winter.

• 

  Terrace Waterfall in May.

• 

  Wisteria covered pergola

[edit] See also

• List of botanical gardens in the United States

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Maymont Foundation
• Richmond, Virginia, a National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary
• Maymont on RichmondWiki.org
• Maymont National Register Nomination on the Virginia Department of Historic Resources Site

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