The Richmond Haunts Blog: Spooky Tales from Near and Far

Swannanoa Palace - A Historically Haunted Tie from Richmond to the Blue Ridge

March 28th, 2024

Heading to the mountains, just outside the community of Afton, we have Swannanoa Palace. It was built in 1912 by James and Sallie Dooley, millionaires and philanthropists from Richmond.

As a young boy, James H. Dooley excelled as a student. When it came time for college, he enrolled at Georgetown University, from which he graduated with honors in 1861. He was drawn to the field of law, but before he could begin practicing professionally, the Civil War broke out. Dooley enlisted with one of his brothers in the Confederate Army and became a member of the First Virginia Infantry.

He was shot and wounded during the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, 1862, and was briefly held as a prisoner of war. A few months later, Dooley was released in exchange for a Union soldier. He went back to Georgetown University, this time to secure a Master’s degree so that he could pursue a career in law. From 1871 to 1877, Dooley served in Virginia’s legislature. He also became closely involved in the banking, steel and railroad industries.

In 1869, Dooley married Sarah “Sallie” O. May of Staunton, Virginia. She too was an intellectual from a wealthy background. The two began their lives as a married couple in Richmond and quickly became famous for their philanthropy. Sallie donated her jewels to Episcopal causes, for instance, while her husband gave three million dollars to the St. Joseph’s Orphanage.

Besides civic endeavors, the Dooleys invested most of their wealth in building two extraordinary estates. The first, known as Maymont, is located in Richmond and served as the couple’s main abode. The property was completed in 1893 and includes a lavish mansion, several outbuildings, an exquisite Japanese ornamental garden. Today, it is open to the public and run by the Maymont Foundation.

But even as remarkable as Maymont is, the Dooleys decided that they also needed a summer retreat, away from Richmond. They chose the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains for Swannanoa Palace. The Dooleys’ vision took nearly eight years to build and required the skills of over three hundred artisans. These craftsmen based their design on Rome’s Villa Medici. The Dooleys’ Swannanoa Palace would mirror the Villa’s use of Georgian marble, which Dooley personally selected and imported directly from Italy.

The Dooleys called the palace Swannanoa because Sallie dearly loved swans, which also explains why there is an exquisite carving of a swan over the mansion’s main entrance.

Swannanoa Palace’s interior furnishings exemplify America’s Gilded Age at its best. From elaborate door handles to an impressive system of pipes, plenty of fixtures and appliances were made from gold. The property also had its own power plant, making the palace the first home in the county to have its own running electricity.

The palace’s most unique feature is a token of love from Dooley to his wife. He asked for her likeness to adorn its elaborate domed ceiling. Other noteworthy elements include a stunning 4,000 piece, Tiffany stained-glass window and a massive Italian marble fireplace.

Unfortunately, both Dooley and his wife didn’t have very long to enjoy their new mountain retreat. A stroke killed Dooley in 1924, and Sallie died just two years later. They were interred in Maymont’s mausoleum. Swannanoa Palace was bequeathed to Dooley’s two sisters, who promptly sold it to the Valley Corporation of Richmond.

The company transformed it into a Country Club that operated from 1929 to 1932. The club’s distillery became famous for producing the region’s best moonshine during the Prohibition era. It was rumored to be a favorite supplier for government officials. Perhaps this is why President Calvin Coolidge, one of the club’s most noteworthy guests, visited it for a Thanksgiving dinner in 1928.

When the country club closed, Swannanoa Palace stood unoccupied for seventeen years. Then, in 1949, it was leased to a famous American painter and sculptor by the name of Walter Bowman Russell. He and his wife, Lao, converted Swannanoa Palace into The University of Science and Philosophy, where students learned about the “genius inherent in everyone”. Russell’s idea of cosmic illumination was quite controversial for the time. It challenged the nation’s educational system by arguing that all knowledge should be self-discovered rather than taught. His theories were very similar to those of the mysterious Illuminati society, the secret, anti-elitism group which has been around since 1776.

After Russell died on May 19, 1963, Lao became the university’s sole manager. Financial difficulties forced Lao to sell Swannanoa Palace, but the money still wasn’t enough to prevent the school from closing. It was leased to Skyline Swannanoa, Inc. in 1999. The company began to renovate the property, hoping to rescue it from its state of extreme disrepair. Due to vandalism and bad weather, much of it lay in shambles.

Swannanoa Palace’s present owner is James Dulaney. When he acquired the property in 2000, Dulaney put more than three million dollars into restoring it. He opened the palace’s first floor to the public in the spring of 2010 and plans to transform it into a luxury inn in the future. His money and efforts have been well rewarded.

Though much work remains to be done, the estate draws in tons of visitors every year. It has been a popular place for wedding receptions, photo shoots, and paranormal investigations in recent years.

Sallie Dooley is the estate’s most famous spectral tenant. Her spirit is often seen wandering the mansion’s long corridors. Dulaney himself believes in her continued presence. He says, “I have cats and they’re locked up and they won’t go on the third floor." Mrs. Dooley is said to have disliked cats.

Some of our friends in the paranormal community have had the opportunity to investigate Swannanoa. In 2013, Twisted Paranormal Society got their first opportunity to visit the palace. During their investigation, they collected evidence including images of spectral orbs shooting across rooms and stairwells, and recordings of ghostly voices responding to investigators’ questions.

They were able to return for a second time the following year, gathering additional evidence to back up their original experiences. In addition to Sallie, they found reason to believe that other spirits also lurk around Swannanoa Palace, including servants and groundskeepers who worked there. All lending to the idea that the beautiful Swannanoa estate is a place standing apart from time. Of all the hauntings and the square footage that Swannanoa has to offer, it’s believed that the library is the palace’s most haunted room, but it’s just one of dozens of spaces that visitors and investigators have to explore.