Label
"Julia C. R. Dorr", 1950-1960
Dr. Grace A. Webster
Vermont
Oil on canvas
Gift of J. Shaw Webb, 1979.22.7
Julia C. R. Dorr was born Julia Caroline Ripley, on February 13, 1825, in Charleston, South Carolina. She was the daughter of William Young Ripley, a native Vermonter and Zulma De Lacy Thomas, daughter of French refugees from San Domingo. Julia's mother died when she was a young child, after which her father brought the family to Vermont. They settled in Middlebury first and later moved to Rutland. In 1847, Julia married the Honorable Seneca Dorr, of New York, and the couple settled in Ghent, New York. Julia began writing poetry when she was a child, but none of her poems were published until 1847, when her husband sent one of her poems to the Union Magazine. In 1848, her first short story was published, for which she received $100.
In 1857 Julia and Seneca Dorr moved to Rutland, Vermont. There they built "The Maples", which became a meeting place for authors, including Ralph Waldo Emerson. Julia C. R. Dorr was a prolific writer of poetry and short stories and was considered by many to be one of the leading women poets of the 19th century. Her poem Periwinkle, illustrated by Zulma De Lacy Steele, is only one of many examples of her work in the Vermont Historical Society collections. She continued writing until her death on January 18, 1913, at age 88.
The artist used a photograph of the poet to paint the portrait in the 1950s.