After visitors come around the final bend of a windy road canvassed by trees, Swannanoa Palace appears.
For 100 years, this 23,000-square-foot white marble mansion has sat at the northern tip of Nelson County, overlooking the greenery below from its perch on Afton Mountain.
“I’ve never seen another building like it, not in Virginia,” said James “Phil” Dulaney, president of Skyline Swannanoa Inc., which owns the mansion.
Swannanoa was built in 1912 by Major James Dooley, a railroad executive and philanthropist from Richmond. He bought the 1,000-acre tract to build a summer home for his wife, Sally May. The couple’s main home was the 100-acre Maymont estate in Richmond.
The estate is open from May to November and hosts weddings and open houses, including one Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at497 Swannanoa Lane, right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
For $6, visitors can explore the grounds, the first floor rooms and climb staircases to one of the towers. Most of the 52 rooms are closed to the public.
Despite the faded wallpaper and paintings, the estate’s previous splendor is apparent. Ann Keller, a visitor from Staunton, said it is easy to picture what it was like in its original glory.
“I can imagine the ladies walking down the stairs in their beautiful gowns,” she said.
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