Swannanoa (mansion) Facts for Kids

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Swannanoa
U.S. National Register of Historic Places


Location in Virginia Show map of Virginia Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	S of jct. of State Route 610 and U.S. Route 250, Augusta County and Nelson County, United States
Nearest city	Waynesboro, Virginia
Area	590 acres (240 ha)
Built	1913
Architect	Baskerville & Noland
Architectural style	Renaissance Revival, Italian Renaissance
NRHP reference No.	69000221
Added to NRHP	October 1, 1969

Swannanoa is a beautiful old mansion built in 1912. It looks like an Italian palace! A rich man named James H. Dooley had it built as a special gift for his wife, Sarah "Sallie" O. May. It sits high up on the Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia, right where Augusta and Nelson counties meet. From there, you can see amazing views of the valleys below.

Swannanoa is located at the top of the Blue Ridge mountains. It overlooks both the Shenandoah and Rockfish valleys. It's also near Rockfish Gap, which is where the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway begin or end.

History of Swannanoa
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Notable Visitors
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History of Swannanoa

Building a Dream Home

James H. Dooley was a millionaire and a philanthropist (someone who gives money to good causes). He wanted Swannanoa to be a summer home for him and his wife. It took over 300 skilled workers many years to build it! They used fancy materials like marble from Georgia and special Tiffany stained-glass windows.

One of the most amazing parts of the house is a huge Tiffany stained-glass window with 4,000 pieces. It shows how much James loved Sallie May. There's even a domed ceiling with a picture of Mrs. Dooley on it! Even though it was so grand, they only lived there for a few years after it was finished in 1912.

Life at Swannanoa

When Swannanoa was built, it had very modern features for its time. It had electricity, indoor plumbing, and central heating. It was actually the first house in Nelson County to have electricity! To make this happen, it had its own power plant on the property. The house also had a built-in elevator. Like Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's house nearby, it had a dumbwaiter. This was a small elevator that brought food from the kitchen in the basement up to the dining area.

Major Dooley passed away in 1922 when he was 82 years old. He left Swannanoa and a lot of money to his wife, Sallie May. Sallie May Dooley died in 1925. After her death, Major Dooley left the estate to his four sisters. Some of the furniture from Swannanoa was moved to Maymont, another estate in Richmond, Virginia.

Swannanoa Country Club

In 1926, Major Dooley's sisters sold Swannanoa to a company called the Valley Corporation of Richmond. This company turned the mansion into the Swannanoa Country Club and Golf Course, which opened in 1927. The golf course had 18 holes.

During the time it was a country club, a small stone building was built for guests to pay their golf fees. It was also rumored to be a place where illegal moonshine (alcohol) was made during Prohibition.

In 1928, President Calvin Coolidge and his wife had Thanksgiving dinner at the country club. The club faced financial problems during the Great Depression. Because of this, the Dooley sisters took the property back in 1932.

Later Years

The mansion was empty for many years after the country club closed. It stayed empty through the Great Depression and World War II. In 1944, a group of businessmen bought it and formed a new company called Skyline Swannanoa, Inc.

In 1948, Swannanoa was leased to Walter Russell for his University of Science and Philosophy. This university used the mansion for its programs.