James H. Dooley
Encyclopedia
James Henry Dooley was a Virginia
lawyer
, business leader, and philanthropist
based in Richmond
during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age
.
, one of nine children. His father, John Dooley, Sr. was a successful hat manufacturer. The Dooley family was prominent in the community and the parish of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church.
He attended Georgetown College (now Georgetown University
) and was the first student to rank at the head of his class during each of his four years, graduating in 1860. Soon after, James and his brother John enlisted in the Confederate Army, joining their father's unit, the First Virginia Infantry. He was wounded at the Battle of Williamsburg
during the Peninsula Campaign
in May, 1862. He was captured and confined for a short time. He later worked in the Confederate Ordnance Department in Richmond. Although he never attained rank in the army, in later life he was referred to by the honorific "Major."
After the war, he completed a Master of Arts degree at Georgetown and returned to Richmond. During the postwar years when Richmond was beginning to rebuild its business district, he began his career as a lawyer. He married Sarah ("Sallie") O. May of Lunenburg County, Virginia
in 1869. Dooley was elected to the Virginia General Assembly
and served from 1871 to 1877.
In 1880, he became a board member of the Richmond and Danville Railroad
, which expanded into a multi state system of over 3,000 miles which, in 1894, became the basis of the Southern Railway
. He headed the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
company, which built tracks along the towpaths of the defunct James River and Kanawha Canal
, served as a director of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
, and was a leader in the founding of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
. He was also involved in steel companies and banking.
In 1893, Major Dooley had a large stone mansion built on a large estate overlooking the James River
in the western portion of the Richmond area which he and his wife named Maymont. The Dooleys also maintained a mountain retreat, Swannanoa
, in the Blue Ridge Mountains
at Rockfish Gap
near Waynesboro, Virginia
in Nelson County
.
According to Richmond's Maymont Foundation, "Major Dooley's leadership of various civic endeavors runs as a continuous thread through the history of Richmond, from the early 1870s through the early 1920s." He was a board member of St. Joseph's Orphanage, served on the board of the Medical College of Virginia and, in 1919, gave the funds for the construction of the Dooley Hospital (now part of Virginia Commonwealth University
.
The Dooleys, who were themselves childless, left a record 3 million dollars to the St. Joseph's Orphanage, a charitable organization which continues its work in family and children services in modern times as "St. Joseph's Villa" on the North Side of Richmond
in Henrico County
. Mrs. Dooley gave a half million dollars to build the Richmond Public Library
as a memorial to her husband.
Their home, Maymont, was left to the City of Richmond as a park and museum subsequent to Mrs. Dooley's death. Today, Maymont Park
is a major Richmond attraction on the James River
, with a museum
, formal garden
s, native wildlife exhibits, nature center, carriage
collection, and children's farm and petting zoo
.
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, business leader, and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
based in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age
Gilded Age
In United States history, the Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post–Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century. The term "Gilded Age" was coined by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner in their book The Gilded...
.
Biography
James Henry Dooley was the son of Irish immigrants John and Sarah Dooley. He was born in Richmond, VirginiaRichmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, one of nine children. His father, John Dooley, Sr. was a successful hat manufacturer. The Dooley family was prominent in the community and the parish of St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church.
He attended Georgetown College (now Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
) and was the first student to rank at the head of his class during each of his four years, graduating in 1860. Soon after, James and his brother John enlisted in the Confederate Army, joining their father's unit, the First Virginia Infantry. He was wounded at the Battle of Williamsburg
Battle of Williamsburg
The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and Williamsburg, Virginia, as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War...
during the Peninsula Campaign
Peninsula Campaign
The Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War was a major Union operation launched in southeastern Virginia from March through July 1862, the first large-scale offensive in the Eastern Theater. The operation, commanded by Maj. Gen. George B...
in May, 1862. He was captured and confined for a short time. He later worked in the Confederate Ordnance Department in Richmond. Although he never attained rank in the army, in later life he was referred to by the honorific "Major."
After the war, he completed a Master of Arts degree at Georgetown and returned to Richmond. During the postwar years when Richmond was beginning to rebuild its business district, he began his career as a lawyer. He married Sarah ("Sallie") O. May of Lunenburg County, Virginia
Lunenburg County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,146 people, 4,998 households, and 3,383 families residing in the county. The population density was 30 people per square mile . There were 5,736 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
in 1869. Dooley was elected to the Virginia General Assembly
Virginia General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the oldest legislative body in the Western Hemisphere, established on July 30, 1619. The General Assembly is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members,...
and served from 1871 to 1877.
In 1880, he became a board member of the Richmond and Danville Railroad
Richmond and Danville Railroad
The Richmond and Danville Railroad was chartered in Virginia in the United States in 1847. The portion between Richmond and Danville, Virginia was completed in 1856...
, which expanded into a multi state system of over 3,000 miles which, in 1894, became the basis of the Southern Railway
Southern Railway (US)
The Southern Railway is a former United States railroad. It was the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized and recombined beginning in the 1830s, formally becoming the Southern Railway in 1894...
. He headed the Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
Richmond and Allegheny Railroad
The Richmond and Alleghany Railroad was built along the James River along the route of the James River and Kanawha Canal from Richmond on the fall line at the head of navigation to a point west of Lynchburg near Buchanan, Virginia, and combined with the Buchanan and Clifton Forge Railway Company to...
company, which built tracks along the towpaths of the defunct James River and Kanawha Canal
James River and Kanawha Canal
The James River and Kanawha Canal was a canal in Virginia, which was built to facilitate shipments of passengers and freight by water between the western counties of Virginia and the coast....
, served as a director of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
, and was a leader in the founding of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad
Seaboard Air Line Railroad
The Seaboard Air Line Railroad , which styled itself "The Route of Courteous Service," was an American railroad whose corporate existence extended from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, its longtime rival, to form the Seaboard Coast Line...
. He was also involved in steel companies and banking.
In 1893, Major Dooley had a large stone mansion built on a large estate overlooking the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
in the western portion of the Richmond area which he and his wife named Maymont. The Dooleys also maintained a mountain retreat, Swannanoa
Swannanoa (mansion)
Swannanoa is an Italianate villa built in 1912 by millionaire and philanthropist James H. Dooley above Rockfish Gap in northern Nelson County, Virginia, USA...
, in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
at Rockfish Gap
Rockfish Gap
Rockfish Gap is a wind gap located in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Charlottesville and Waynesboro, Virginia, United States, through Afton Mountain, which is frequently used to refer to the gap....
near Waynesboro, Virginia
Waynesboro, Virginia
Waynesboro, deriving its name from General Anthony Wayne, is an independent city surrounded by Augusta County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 21,006 in 2010.....
in Nelson County
Nelson County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,445 people, 5,887 households, and 4,144 families residing in the county. The population density was 31 people per square mile . There were 8,554 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
.
According to Richmond's Maymont Foundation, "Major Dooley's leadership of various civic endeavors runs as a continuous thread through the history of Richmond, from the early 1870s through the early 1920s." He was a board member of St. Joseph's Orphanage, served on the board of the Medical College of Virginia and, in 1919, gave the funds for the construction of the Dooley Hospital (now part of Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
.
Death and afterward
Major Dooley died in Richmond at the age of 81. He first was buried with his former Confederate comrades in Hollywood Cemetery, and later reinterred with his wife Sallie in a mausoleum at Maymont.The Dooleys, who were themselves childless, left a record 3 million dollars to the St. Joseph's Orphanage, a charitable organization which continues its work in family and children services in modern times as "St. Joseph's Villa" on the North Side of Richmond
North Side (Richmond Virginia)
The North Side is an area composed of northern Richmond, Virginia and some parts of Henrico County, Virginia.The area is home to many diverse neighborhoods, especially early streetcar suburbs, including Barton Heights, Bellevue, Ginter Park, Washington Park, Hermitage Road, Highland Park, Sherwood...
in Henrico County
Henrico County, Virginia
Henrico is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, a state of the United States. As of 2010, Henrico was home to 306,935 people. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Mrs. Dooley gave a half million dollars to build the Richmond Public Library
Richmond Public Library
Richmond Public Library is a public library that serves Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. The library has four branches in the city: Brighouse , Steveston, Ironwood, and Cambie...
as a memorial to her husband.
Their home, Maymont, was left to the City of Richmond as a park and museum subsequent to Mrs. Dooley's death. Today, Maymont Park
Maymont Park
Maymont is a 100 acre 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...
is a major Richmond attraction on the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
, with a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
, formal garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s, native wildlife exhibits, nature center, carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
collection, and children's farm and petting zoo
Petting zoo
A petting zoo features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. In addition to independent petting zoos, also called children's farms or petting farms, many general zoos contain a petting zoo...
.
Papers
- Dooley, J. H., Daniel, J. W., & Daniel, J. W. (1891). Payment of gold contracts in silver : correspondence between James H. Dooley and U.S. Senator John W. Daniel. Richmond, Va: J.L. Hill Printing Co. OCLC 20986959.
- Dooley, J. H. (1900). How may state receive return for money spent on education. S.l: s.n. OCLC 13420088.
- Dooley, J. H. (1902). Has our country passed the climax of its prosperity? A reply ... to the address of Mr. F.A. Vanderlip, New York, N.Y., at Wilmington, N.C.. OCLC 26773592
- Dooley, J. H., & Tuller, W. K. (1911). A national constitutional convention and its possible consequences. What limitations can be imposed upon the powers of a convention called to amend the Constitution of the United States?. OCLC 78952562.
Biography
- Caravati, C. M. (1978). Major Dooley. Richmond, Va: [Published for the Maymont Foundation]. OCLC 4562489.