Nemours Mansion and Gardens
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Nemours Mansion and Gardens is a 300-acre (1.2 km2) country estate with formal gardens located at 1600 Rockland Road in Wilmington, Delaware. The mansion resembles a French chateau and contains more than seventy rooms spread over five floors occupying nearly 47,000 sq ft (4,400 m2). It shares the grounds with the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children and they are both owned by the Nemours Foundation.
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[edit] Origin
Nemours was created by Alfred I. du Pont in 1909-1910, and named for a French town affiliated with his great-great-grandfather, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours. Carrère and Hastings designed it. The architectural style is Louis XVI.
[edit] Furnishings
The mansion features rare French 18th century furniture throughout and contains an eclectic collection of notable antiques, works of art and tapestries. Artworks range from 16th century religious works to paintings by the European masters to early works by Americans Frederick Remington and Sidney Lawrence. Of particular interest is a rare Louis XVI musical clock, circa 1785, by David Roentgen and Peter Kinzing, which plays four different tunes on a dulcimer and pipe organ.
[edit] Grounds
The estate includes the largest formal French garden in North America. The revitalized gardens are patterned after the Petit Trianon at Versailles and extend ⅓ of a mile along the main avenue leading to the house. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with fountains, pools, and statuary surrounded by natural woodlands. Named features include:
- Boxwood garden - French parterre garden with boxwood edging and a central faun fountain.
- Colonnade (1926) - memorial to Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours and his son Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, designed by Thomas Hastings.
- Maze Garden - main hedges of Western Arborvitae 'Spring Grove', inner hedges of Japanese Barberry 'Crimson Pygmy', and central statue of Achievement, by Henri Crenier, atop a base with images of Triton and Neptune's face.
- Reflecting Pool (1 acre) - 40 feet (12 m) in diameter, with 157 jets, backed by Japanese cryptomeria, pink flowering horse chestnut, and pin oaks.
- Sunken Gardens - designed by Alfred Victor du Pont (1900-) and Gabriel Masséna. Features large lake, grottoes, and 1930 statue by Charles-Marie Sarrabezolles (1888-1971).
- Temple of Love - in classical style, with life-sized statue of Diana (1780) by Jean-Antoine Houdon.
[edit] Renovation
The mansion and gardens reopened its gates on May 1, 2008 after closing in 2005 for a 3-year, $39 million renovation.[1] The work was performed by world-class conservators and craftspeople who refurbished statues, paintings, furniture and tapestries. The comprehensive reconstruction included landscaping the formal gardens, draining and repairing the 800,000 gallon reflecting pool and replacing the electrical systems.
[edit] See also
- Nemours Foundation
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- List of museums in Delaware
- Winterthur Museum
- Hagley Museum and Library
- Longwood Gardens
