STOATMOBILE WORLD TOUR! (all are welcome)

Here's the link to Jes' announcement about PM's

http://www.able2know.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=47497

Continuing the Virginia tour.

Atop Afton Mountain in Virginia, the palace of Swannanoa:



History of Swannanoa Palace:

Major James Dooley, an executive with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company, completed construction of the $2 million Swannanoa in 1912. Dooley, who owned the Maymont estate in Richmond, built this 52-room marble palace as a token of love for his wife, Sally May. More than 300 artisans were hired to create the palace as a replica of the Villa de Medici in Rome. They used the highest quality materials available. Visitors today can still see the depth of James and Sally May's relationship is places like the 4,000 piece Tiffany stained-glass window and a domed ceiling bearing the likeness of Mrs. Dooley. The name Swannanoa comes from Mrs. Dooley's fondness for swans, which she liked because they choose their mates for a lifetime.

Eventually, the palace was abandoned and vandals wrecked the inside, leaving only the stain glass window in tact, thinking it was a religious icon.

Then it was purchased by a religious cult who did some renovation and erected a huge statue of the Christ which almost bordered on the obscene. It appeared to be plaster of paris and very unaesthetic.

When the cult dissolved, it became privately owned and became a bed and breakfast which is in operation today.

Afton Mountain in Virginia:

Interesting story, Letty.

Thank you, osso. I have always been fascinated with palaces of the past. Guess that was part of my fairy tale childhood. Wish that I could have done more, but dial up leaves much to the imagination when taking a tour.

I realize that you have been to The University of Virginia, and one may get to Charlottesville, Virginia via the Afton Mountain highway. We call it the back entrance.

Very lovely country..

I did just miss getting to Villa Medici in Rome too. (Alas.)