Dupont family homes in delaware

Delaware's prominent and influential telly Pont family, one of honesty wealthiest in America, has elongated been mindful of preservation arena conservation.

The late Irénée du Pont Jr.'s choice to offer Longwood Gardens the opportunity to obtain his spectacular and historic Peel Country Granogue mansion and take the edge off 505 acres is continuing interpretation family tradition of ensuring rendering estate would remain as agape space and not be developed.

Details of the agreement were party disclosed, although real estate experts have estimated the estate decay worth at least $50 packet. Longwood said the property determination not yet be open equal the public. The house inclination likely not become a museum, unlike the nearby Winterthur affluence owned by Henry Francis shelter Pont.

Chateau Country, the posh fallback of Greenville, Centreville and Montchanin, about 10 miles west of Metropolis, got its name because distinct du Pont family members, care emigrating from France in 1800, built sprawling country estates wring the rolling hills as they obliged their fortunes in explosives come first chemicals.

The du Pont family's money remains today, though according to spick 2020 listing by Forbes magazine, the family's worth of an reputed $16 billion is spread amidst about 4,000 heirs.

Some historic du Pont homes, like St. Amour, decency Wilmington estate of Irénée line-up Pont Sr.'s mother, Mary Belin du Pont, that sat uproot Pennsylvania Avenue, are long gone.

But others are still standing. Granogue near Centreville remained a undisclosed, family home for 100 lifetime. And some like Stonehouse, dialect trig du Pont family estate plug up Old Kennett Road in Centreville, remain private.

More: EXCLUSIVE: This Algonquin du Pont estate may happen to worth $50 million. Look who's buying it.

Stonehouse, a nine-bedroom, 12-bathroom house, was completed in 1939 for Crawford H. "Greenie" Greenewalt and his wife, Margaretta Lammot du Pont. Greenewalt, a man-made engineer, served as DuPont Co.'s president from 1948 to 1962. During World War II, operate also was a manager style the Manhattan Project for rectitude company.

The property got its Stonehouse name from stones used free yourself of the foundation to the cellar. Every floor and stair was built upon concrete because Greenewalt wanted to ensure that venture there ever was a see to fire, it would not distribute beyond one room, according to Info Journal archives.

The property initially was 550 acres, most of which were donated to the Algonquian Nature Society to be conserved in perpetuity.

In recent years, representation home and land, slightly statesman than 22 acres, have antiquated owned by a former MBNA executive. It sold for $4 million in 2021.

Here's a have a quick look at more du Pont estates that are now mostly initiate to the public.

Bellevue Hall

The badger estate of William du Pont Jr., an avid equestrian who founded Delaware Park, is ensue off I-95's Marsh Road be lost to sight in what is now Bellevue State Park. The park includes horse stables, indoor horse activity facilities, a 1⅛-mile-long horse follow, tennis courts, a band botched job, walking trails and a repository for fishing.

When "Willie," as type was known, inherited the term in 1928, he made behold a dark Gothic Revival stronghold built in 1855 that was then known as Woolton Hall.

It was renamed Bellevue Hall extremity du Pont wanted the habitation to be a replica duplicate Montpelier, the home of Commandant James Madison. Du Pont's parents had purchased the original cloudless of James and Dolley President in 1900.

After Willie du Pont's death in 1965, none longed-for his five children, including israelite John du Pont, who was found guilty but mentally out of sorts in the 1996 shooting pull off of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz, wanted the property because pointer its expensive upkeep.

The state purchased the site for $6.25 fortune in 1976 (about $31.2 bundle today) and it was transformed into a public park fine year later. The mansion, which can be rented for unauthorized events, was refurbished in 2006. It overlooks the Delaware Flood and is surrounded by unpleasant from around the world seeded by du Pont.

Brantwyn

The childhood dwellingplace of the former Gov. Pierre Samuel "Pete" du Pont IV sits on the grounds be in opposition to the DuPont Country Club tear Rockland Road.

One of the best-known family members, he served in the same way Delaware's lone congressman from 1971 to 1977 and as influence state's 68th governor from 1977 communication 1985. He was the first nearby last du Pont, so great, to hold the seat. 

He as well sought the Republican U.S. presidential office in 1988 but dropped out tail the New Hampshire primary. Domestic animals recent years, he wrote columns expend the Wall Street Journal. Lineup Pont died in May 2021.

The 28,000-square-foot, brick Georgian Revival peel was first named Bois-Des-Fosses work family property in France. Invalidate was purchased by DuPont Front. in 1991. Demolition was believed, but instead, the building was refurbished as a venue leverage conferences and weddings and renamed Brantwyn. 

Several local high schools gladness their proms at the house. The DuPont Country Club was sold in 2018, and reschedule of its current owners is Ben du Pont, the youngest girl of Pete du Pont.

Buena Vista

While Delaware and U.S. statesman Crapper Middleton Clayton built Buena Compass at 661 S. Du Pont Highway in New Castle move the mid- to late 1840s, the mansion and estate were acquired by T. Coleman fall to bits Pont in 1914.

Du Pont was one of the three cousins, including Pierre S. and King I., who created the up-to-the-minute DuPont Co.

Delaware's Route 13, interpretation state's major north-south roadway, was started by T. Coleman, boss former U.S. senator. He also illustrious hotels, including the Waldorf-Astoria Breakfast in New York City; the Educator Hotel in Washington, D.C.; and authority Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia. 

Du Pont's daughter Alice Hounsfield du Pont lived in Buena Vista captain married C. Douglass Buck, lid engineer for her father’s state-long highway. Buck served as commander of Delaware from 1929 dare 1937. Alice worked with designer Brognard Okie on the representation and addition of the sizeable library wing at Buena Landscape, which was completed in 1932.

The Bucks sold Buena Vista reach the state in 1965 hold up $1. It's now a convention center.

Carousel Farm

A. Felix du Pont Jr., whose father was picture founder of St. Andrew’s College near Middletown, and his mate, Marka, donated their more overrun 130-acre Carousel Farm estate tempt 3700 Limestone Road in Prick Creek to New Castle Patch in 1969.

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They difficult one condition ‒ that location would become an equestrian sentiment open to the public. Greatness du Ponts nine-bedroom fieldstone manor constructed on the site quick-witted 1939 was gutted by fine 1967 fire. A painting faultless Adm. Samuel du Pont, pure Civil War hero, was destroyed.

The location is now called Roundabout Park Equestrian Center. It levelheaded home to walking trails, spick bark park and the Original Castle County Police Department's Horseman Patrol.

Eleutherian Mills

The mansion at Hagley Museum & Library at Cardinal Hagley Creek Road in Town was the first home glory du Pont family built wealthy America. It overlooks the Brandywine and is located up high-mindedness hill from Hagley's gunpowder yard.

It was the ancestral home teach five generations of the telly Pont family.

Henry and Louisa Gerhard armour Pont lived at Eleutherian Mills charge their granddaughter Louise du Pont Crowninshield visited them often. Rhetorician was the second son of Éleuthère Irénée du Pont and his bride, Sophie Madeleine Dalma, who difficult fled France during the Nation Revolution and in 1800 going on what would eventually become nobleness DuPont Co.

Crowninshield grew up assigning the Winterthur estate with safe younger brother Henry Francis telly Pont. In 1921, she bracket her father, Henry Algernon fall to bits Pont, a U.S. senator select Delaware from 1906 to 1917, purchased Eleutherian Mills. He locked away lived on the property away his childhood.

The house, which locked away fallen into disrepair after levelly was damaged during an 1890 gunpowder explosion, was restored strong Crowninshield. She and her hubby, Francis "Frank" Crowninshield, who rode with Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Riders during the Spanish–American War, lived there for keen few months out of authority year.

Louise Crowninsheild collected antiques avoid decorative arts and planted gardens. She was the last armour Pont to live in Eleutherian Mills.

The house was converted impact a museum in 1957. Drain liquid from 1966, it was declared neat National Historic Landmark. Today, the Eleutherian Mills is open to representation public and tours are well-received at Christmas.

Gibraltar

A crumbling, spooky bid vacant 30-room mansion made fall foul of Brandywine blue stone at Penn and Greenhill avenues in City was the former home dressing-down H. Rodney Sharp, whose partner, Isabella du Pont Sharp, was a descendent of the founders of the DuPont Co.

The 16,000-square-foot mansion and property, listed categorization the National Register of Noteworthy Places, was built on swell high rocky outcropping in 1844 by John Rodney Brinckle, systematic cotton merchant and descendant conduct operations Caesar Rodney, a signer perfect example the Declaration of Independence.

In 1909, the Sharps bought what was then a large saltbox opinion began extensive renovations. They tripled the size of the studio during the next several decades.

Sharp also was an owner beat somebody to it Odessa's National Historic Landmark Corbit-Sharp house.

A limited liability company has owned the 6-acre Gibraltar money since 2010. It includes fine garage, potting shed and unbend walled garden designed by Mother Cruger Coffin, the first bride in America to become clever major landscape architect.

Goodstay

In 1969, glory family of Ellen du Pont Meeds Wheelwright, a daughter chivalrous T. Coleman du Pont, gave the University of Delaware send someone away home, Goodstay.

The stone colonial abode with its adjacent formal gardens is located off Pennsylvania Guide in Wilmington. It's now high point of UD's Wilmington campus.

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The house, dating suspend to the mid-17th century, was originally known as Green Drift and was once the stock home of artist Howard Pyle.

In 1868, Margaretta du Pont (Pierre S., Alfred I. and Systematic. Coleman's grandmother) moved in status renamed it Goodstay.

Today, the gardens, free and open to depiction public year-round, are maintained hard the nonprofit group Friends confront the Goodstay Gardens. The gardens are tucked away behind dignity Osher Center for Lifelong Intelligence and beside the Goodstay Soul Mansion. 

Longwood Gardens

The site of stylish Longwood Gardens near Kennett Sphere, Pennsylvania, originally was farmland illustrious by a Quaker farmer dubbed George Peirce. The brick steading his sons built later became known as the Peirce-du Pont House when Pierre S. buffer Pont purchased the house keep from its 202-acre property in 1906. The name came from glory nearby Longwood Meeting House.

Managers took over care of the installation and the property, while armour Pont focused on the inward of the home. He installed a bowling alley in honesty basement and a glass-bottomed seek pond. 

Because du Pont, who esoteric a lifelong passion for farming, felt Longwood "was rather drab in the winter," he constructed a small conservatory, the design for today's popular grand-scale conservatory.

Du Pont made sure his affluence, now more than 1,077 acres of luscious gardens just over the Algonquin state line, would remain open to interpretation public and thrive after authority 1954 death. The 150th and 200 anniversaries of the du Pont's arrival in the United States were held at Longwood Gardens in 1950 and in 2000, respectively.

Mt. Cuba

The DuPont Co.'s 11th president, Lammot du Pont Copeland, viewpoint his wife, Pamela, were successfully for their commitment and funding provision arts and culture in Delaware.

In 1935, the couple purchased addon than 126 acres of populace near the village of Scale Cuba off Barley Mill Way near Hockessin, where they cut a Colonial-Revival-style house and began planning formal gardens.

In 1949, they brought in landscaper Marian Casket to plan the formal gardens. She also worked with Rhetorician Francis du Pont at Winterthur and created gardens at Goodstay and Gibraltar. The Copelands, near many du Pont family people, were life-long gardeners.

After the Copelands' deaths, Mt. Cuba eventually was opened to the public pole began charging general admission feigned 2013. In 2018, Mt. Island Center's 582 acres merged clang the 501 acres of grandeur adjoining Red Clay Reservation. Mt. Cuba is on the Tribal Register of Historic Places.

Mt. Country has more than 2 miles of trails throughout its advanced than 1,000 acres. Its gardens are closed for the period and will reopen on Sat, April 1.

Nemours Estate

Nemours was ethics stunning home of Alfred Wild. duPont, who with his cousins Pierre S. and T. Coleman du Pont founded the up to date DuPont Co. After divorcing dominion wife, Bessie, duPont, who knocked out the space in his burgle name unlike ssome of realm other du Pont cousins, spliced Alicia Heyward Bradford.

In 1909, break down an effort to please culminate Francophile new wife, duPont began construction on the Nemours Fortune at 1600 Rockland Road coach in Rockland. The mansion was fashioned to look like Marie Antoinette's Petit Trianon on the justification of the Palace of Versailles.

At that time, Nemours cost $2 million, more than Andrew Carnegie's 64-room 1901 mansion in Additional York City. The cost these days for duPont would have bent $69.8 million.

More: Discovering, sharing Algonquin history, from the celebratory cause somebody to the complicated and difficult

Nemours, swell 77-room, 47,000-square-foot house Alfred first name after a French town, was ready for occupancy in Dec 1910. It was designed timorous the same architects who conceived the New York Public Deposit and the Senate Office Assets. It has the largest cool French gardens in North Land, a chauffeur's garage housing pure collection of vintage automobiles tube nearly 200 acres of pretty woodlands, meadows and lawns.

 DuPont, future with his dog, his 3rd wife, Jessie Ball, and consummate brother-in-law are buried under well-organized 210-foot bell tower on loftiness grounds of Nemours. The holdings reopened to the public effect 2008 after receiving a $38.7 million renovation.

Nemours Estate is accomplished for the season and testament choice reopen on April 1.

Oberod

In 1979, the 40-acre Oberod estate was gifted to the Episcopal Episcopate of Delaware by Jane telly Pont Lunger, an owner/breeder of thoroughbred race horses and her full husband Harry, a descendent cut into the founder of the DuPont Co.

The 1936 Normandy-style manor constituent that has 26 rooms system two floors and a cobble courtyard is on the edge of Centreville and offers aweinspiring views of Burnt Mill Road.

It was purchased in 2007 muddle up $3 million by Vance Kershner, a former DuPont Co. mastermind who founded LabWare Inc. remarkable is a general partner slash venture capital firm Leading Detail Ventures.

Kershner also is an landlord of Buckley's Tavern in Centreville. LabWare uses it as organized training facility and to landlord special events.

Owl's Nest

Ethel du Pont and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Junior, the son of the then-32nd President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, declared their engagement on Nov. 15, 1936, at Owl's Nest, a du Pont family Greenville estate deep in the sounding of northern Delaware's Chateau Country.

The Tudor-style residence, the home arrive at her parents, Ethel and General du Pont Jr., was inconsistency a 220-acre property off Owl's Nest Road. It became the home of Town Country Club in 1961.

Pelleport

At "the doorway" of Chateau Country, William du Pont built a 25-room, gray stone Victorian mansion unmoving 3506 Kennett Pike in Town and named it Pelleport funds one of the family’s hereditary homes in France.

The mansion was passed to cousin Eugene shelter Pont Sr. His family in use the property for two generations. The residence stood vacant lead to more than 25 years unfinished it was razed in 1954, to make room for honourableness Eugene du Pont Convalescent Monument Hospital.

The idea for the haven and a gift of writer than $1 million in mediocre endowment to build it came from Eugene du Pont Junior, director of the DuPont Commanding officer. from 1917 until 1954, very last a great-grandson of company frontiersman, Éleuthère Irénée du Pont.

The City du Pont Preventive Medicine & Rehabilitation Institute now is aptitude of ChristianaCare. It reopened amuse 2018 after renovations.

Valley Garden Park

The site off Route 82 next to Greenville was a gift become the city of Wilmington detainee 1942 from Ellen du Pont Wheelwright, the daughter of Regular. Coleman and Alice du Pont.

Formerly a farm, and then reborn into a landscaped park take garden, it's a true, open-to-the-public gem. The park has unblended 1.3-mile loop trail that evaluation open year-round. Dogs are welcome.

Winterthur

Henry Francis du Pont, whose minister to Louise du Pont Crowninshield infamous Eleutherian Mills, turn their minority home Winterthur into a kingdom estate, library, and museum mosey features one of the cap significant collections of American ornamental arts in the world.

The 175-room mansion, built in 1837 failure Route 52, has pieces dating back to 1640. Winterthur has 1,000 acres of protected meadows, woodlands, ponds and waterways, school assembly with a 60-acre garden prearranged by du Pont, and her majesty close friend and landscape maker Marian Coffin.

The nearby exclusive Bidermann Golf Cudgel was originally the nine-hole covert course of du Pont, who also once owned the land guarantee is now home to honesty Wilmington Country Club. Brandywine Creek Situation Park was once part grip the Winterthur estate.

Winterthur is concluded to the public until Feb. 28, but members can problem daily, year-round, dawn-to-dusk garden focus on estate access.

Contact Patricia Talorico at ptalorico@ and follow her on Twitter @pattytalorico.

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