At Maymont Mansion, you can get a taste of the holiday traditions of the 1890s.
The home of Richmond philanthropist James Dooley and his wife, Sallie, is extravagantly decorated with elegant greenery, tabletop trees, a Christmas tree filled with ornaments and a dining room with red ribbons hung from the chandelier.
"We try to be as authentic as possible," said Dale Wheary, Maymont's director of historical collections and programs. The decorations are in the spirit of the late 19{+t}{+h} century and are representative of the way the Dooleys celebrated the season, she said.
Although tours of the mansion are offered year-round, the Christmas season remains one of the most special times of the year, said tour guide Stephanie Martin. The Christmas decorations displayed through the first week of January draw many visitors to park to learn more about the history of Maymont, the influential couple and some of the Christmas traditions of the era.
"I love it. I love this whole house in Christmas," said Martin, who added that her family has volunteered with Maymont Foundation for decades. She visited the mansion while she was a child and has been leading tours since the early 1990s.
During the tour, guests learn that the Christmas tree was usually decorated by Santa — or Father Christmas, as he was known then — and that the ornaments included little cones where you would put candies, nuts or fruit. Candles and presents also were hung from the tree.
And you will not go home without learning about the pickle tradition, in which a pickle was hidden in the Christmas tree and the first child to find it would get an extra present. In not-too-wealthy homes, the prize was a sign of good luck for the coming year, said Martin.
On their first visit to the mansion, Sara and Benjamin Shirley of Richmond were impressed. They said they found the decorations a bit showy, which reminded them they were visiting the home of one of Richmond's wealthiest couples.
"It was lovely," Sara Shirley said.
llazo@timesdispatch.com
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