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Built in 1722 to house the king's governors, the palace symbolized the prestige and power of British rule. It was
completed after 16 years of grueling labor. Gardens are located throughout the walled grounds. It is one of the finest homes of its kind in America and stands today as a shining example of the position
viceroyalty enjoyed in the capital of England's largest American colony. Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson were the only two American governors to live here before the capital moved to Richmond during the
Revolutionary War. Our nation's freedom was won in nearby Yorktown, where General George Washington defeated England's General Cornwallis in 1781 at the decisive battle of the American Revolution.
Everyone in America should walk down the Duke of Gloucester Street at least once to see, first hand, the grandeur and way of life that used to be when our country had truly started to take form. |
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Major James H. And Sallie May Dooley built Maymont, the 100-acre Victorian country estate in Richmond. The
mansion was completed in 1893. They spent the next 30 years designing and constructing the gardens, landscaping and structures you can see there today. Mrs. Dooley bequeathed Maymont to the city of
Richmond upon her death in 1925. The former dairy farm on the James River, in what was then Henrico County, offers many attractions. Touring the mansion, the nature center, native Virginia wildlife
exhibits and the children's farm and carriage collection creates a special visit, but the gardens are the most memorable. The Italian Garden was designed in the 15th- and 16th- century style,
while the Japanese Garden is a blend of several different styles for two distinct periods of design. The pond area is lush, green and tranquil and seems cool and comforting even on the hottest of days.
With the waterfall, oriental bridges, streams and massive rock outcroppings, the Japanese Garden, alone, is worth the visit.
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