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Sallie Dooley - Maymont Estate - Richmond, VA - 4/28/13 - Version 3 Sarah O. "Sallie" May (1846-1925) was born in Lunenburg County, the heart of Virginia's tobacco plantation culture. She moved to Richmond after marrying James Dooley in 1869. Sallie and her husband enjoyed traveling and planning their two estates - Maymont and Swannanoa, their summer home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. A serious student of horticulture, Sallie played an active role in developing the estate gardens and supervising their care. She was also known for her lavish entertaining at Maymont. Having no children to inherit their wealth, the Dooleys left significant bequests to several Richmond organizations. One of which was $3 million to build St. Joseph's Villa for a Roman Catholic charity. In 1925, Sallie Dooley's public bequests were considered the largest ever made by a Virginia woman. They included funds to build the Children's Hospital and the Richmond Public Library, and a fund for the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. In accordance with her husband's will, she left Maymont to the City of Richmond to be used as a museum and park; however, no endowment was made for its ongoing care. Maymont opened to the public in 1926.
See photo in original gallery.
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