Nemours Mansion and Gardens
Encyclopedia
The Nemours Mansion and Gardens is a 300 acres (1.2 km²) country estate with jardin à la française formal gardens
and a classical French
mansion
located in Wilmington, Delaware
. The mansion resembles a Château
and contains more than seventy rooms spread over five floors occupying nearly 47000 sq ft (4,366.4 m²). It shares the grounds with the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
and they are both owned by the Nemours Foundation
at 1600 Rockland Road. The estate is part of the DuPont legacy and is located on the DuPont Historic Corridor
.
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 architecture is of the Louis XVI
—Rococo
style of French architecture
.
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
.
(French formal garden) style landscape park and collection of individual gardens in North America. The design is patterned after the gardens of Versailles
surrounding the Petit Trianon
at the Château de Versailles
. Their central axis extends ⅓ of a mile from the mansion facade
, paralleling the main avenue leading to the house. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with plantings, fountain
s, Garden pond|pools]], statuary, and a pavilion
surrounded by naturalized woodland
s.
, was performed by world-class conservator
s, artisan
s and craftspeople
who refurbished furniture, fabrics, tapestries, interior finishes, paintings, and sculptures. The comprehensive reconstruction included replacing the electrical systems and draining and repairing the 800,000 gallon reflecting pool
, and landscape restoration
of the extensive formal gardens
plantings, constructed design elements, and statuary.
Landscape design history
Garden à la française
The French formal garden, also called jardin à la française, is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order over nature. It reached its apogee in the 17th century with the creation of the Gardens of Versailles, designed for Louis XIV by the landscape architect André Le...
and a classical French
Châteauesque
Châteauesque is one of several terms, including Francis I style, and, in Canada, the Château Style, that refer to a revival architectural style based on the French Renaissance architecture of the monumental French country homes built in the Loire Valley from the late fifteenth century to the...
mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
located in Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. The mansion resembles a Château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
and contains more than seventy rooms spread over five floors occupying nearly 47000 sq ft (4,366.4 m²). It shares the grounds with the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children
Alfred I. du Pont Hospital for Children is a pediatric hospital located in Wilmington, Delaware. It is controlled by the Nemours Foundation, a non-profit organization created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1936 and dedicated to improving the health of children. It is also referred to as the...
and they are both owned by the Nemours Foundation
Nemours Foundation
The Nemours Foundation is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1936, and dedicated to improving the health of children. The Foundation operates the Alfred I...
at 1600 Rockland Road. The estate is part of the DuPont legacy and is located on the DuPont Historic Corridor
DuPont Historic Corridor
The DuPont Historic Corridor is a section of Delaware Route 141 that traces the history of both the Du Pont family and the DuPont company. The southwest point houses DuPont’s Chestnut Run Plaza and the northeastern end is home to the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children...
.
Origin
Nemours was created by Alfred I. du PontAlfred I. du Pont
Alfred Irénée du Pont was an American industrialist, financier and philanthropist. A member of the influential Du Pont family, Alfred du Pont first rose to prominence through his work in his family's Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, E. I...
in 1909–1910, and named for a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
town affiliated with his great-great-grandfather, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours
Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours
Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours was a French nobleman, writer, economist, and government official, who was the father of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, the founder of E.I...
. Carrère and Hastings
Carrère and Hastings
Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère and Thomas Hastings , located in New York City, was one of the outstanding Beaux-Arts architecture firms in the United States. The partnership operated from 1885 until 1911, when Carrère was killed in an automobile accident...
designed it. The architecture is of the Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
—Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
style of French architecture
French architecture
The history of French architecture runs in parallel with its neighbouring countries in Europe, with France being home to both some of the earliest pioneers in many architectural styles, and also containing some of the finest architectural creations of the continent.-Roman:The architecture of...
.
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 Frederic RemingtonFrederic Remington
Frederic Sackrider Remington was an American painter, illustrator, sculptor, and writer who specialized in depictions of the Old American West, specifically concentrating on the last quarter of the 19th century American West and images of cowboys, American Indians, and the U. S...
and Sidney Lawrence
Sidney Lawrence
Sidney Lawrence was a U.S. Representative from New York.Born in Weybridge, Vermont, Lawrence moved with his parents to Moira, New York, in early childhood.He attended the common schools.He studied law....
. Of particular interest is a rare Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
musical clock, circa 1785, by David Roentgen and Peter Kinzing
Peter Kinzing
Peter Kinzing was a noted German Mennonite clock maker.Kinzing was born in Neuwied, Germany, and is supposed to have made his first pendulum clock at the age of ten...
, which plays four different tunes on a dulcimer
Hammered dulcimer
The hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...
and pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
.
Landscape gardens
The estate has the most developed and largest jardin à la françaiseGarden à la française
The French formal garden, also called jardin à la française, is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order over nature. It reached its apogee in the 17th century with the creation of the Gardens of Versailles, designed for Louis XIV by the landscape architect André Le...
(French formal garden) style landscape park and collection of individual gardens in North America. The design is patterned after the gardens of Versailles
Gardens of Versailles
The Gardens of Versailles occupy part of what was once the Domaine royal de Versailles, the royal demesne of the château of Versailles. Situated to the west of the palace, the gardens cover some 800 hectares of land, much of which is landscaped in the classic French Garden style perfected here by...
surrounding the Petit Trianon
Petit Trianon
The Petit Trianon is a small château located on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles in Versailles, France.-Design and construction:...
at the Château de Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
. Their central axis extends ⅓ of a mile from the mansion facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
, paralleling the main avenue leading to the house. The grounds are beautifully landscaped with plantings, fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
s, Garden pond|pools]], statuary, and a pavilion
Pavilion
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
surrounded by naturalized woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
s.
- The named features include:
- The Boxwood garden – French parterre garden with boxwoodBuxusBuxus is a genus of about 70 species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood ....
edging and a central faun fountain. - The Colonnade (1926) – memorial to Pierre Samuel du Pont de NemoursPierre Samuel du Pont de NemoursPierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours was a French nobleman, writer, economist, and government official, who was the father of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, the founder of E.I...
and his son Eleuthère Irénée du PontEleuthère Irénée du PontÉleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours , known as Irénée du Pont, or E.I. du Pont, was a French-born Huguenot chemist and industrialist who immigrated to the United States in 1799 and founded the gunpowder manufacturer, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company...
, designed by Thomas HastingsThomas Hastings (architect)Thomas Hastings was an American architect.- Biography :He was born in New York City to Thomas Samuel Hastings, a Presbyterian minister, and Fanny de Groot. Hastings came from a colonial Yankee background, his ancestor Thomas Hastings having come from the East Anglia region of England to the...
. - The Maze Garden – a maze gardenHedge MazeA hedge maze is an outdoor garden maze or labyrinth in which the "walls" or dividers between passages are made of vertical hedges.-History:...
with main hedges of Western Arborvitae 'Spring Grove', inner hedges of Japanese Barberry 'Crimson Pygmy', and central statue of Achievement, by Henri CrenierHenri CrenierHenri Crenier was an American sculptor born in France.Crenier was born in Paris, studied at the École des Beaux-Arts with Alexandre Falguière, worked in Asnières-sur-Seine, and exhibited at the Paris Salon...
, atop a base with images of TritonTriton (mythology)Triton is a mythological Greek god, the messenger of the big sea. He is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea, and Amphitrite, goddess of the sea, whose herald he is...
and NeptuneNeptune (mythology)Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
's face. - The Reflecting Pool (1 acre) – 40 feet (12.2 m) in diameter, with 157 jets, backed by Japanese cryptomeriaCryptomeriaCryptomeria is a monotypic genus of conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae formerly belonging to the family Taxodiaceae; it includes only one species, Cryptomeria japonica . It is endemic to Japan, where it is known as Sugi...
, pink flowering horse chestnut, and pin oakPin oakQuercus palustris, the Pin oak or Swamp Spanish oak, is an oak in the red oak section Quercus sect. Lobatae.-Distribution:...
s. - The Sunken Gardens – designed by Alfred Victor du Pont (1900–) and Gabriel Masséna. Features large lake, grottoes, and 1930 statue by Charles-Marie SarrabezollesCharles Marie Louis Joseph SarrabezollesCharles Marie Louis Joseph Sarrabezolles , also known as Carlo Sarrabezolles , was a French sculptor....
(1888–1971). - The Temple of Love – in classical style, with life-sized statue of DianaDiana (mythology)In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
(1780) by Jean-Antoine HoudonJean-Antoine HoudonJean-Antoine Houdon was a French neoclassical sculptor. Houdon is famous for his portrait busts and statues of philosophers, inventors and political figures of the Enlightenment...
.
- The Boxwood garden – French parterre garden with boxwood
Restoration and renovation
The Nemours mansion and gardens reopened its gates on May 1, 2008 after closing in 2005 for a 3-year, $39 million renovation. The work, commissioned by the Nemours FoundationNemours Foundation
The Nemours Foundation is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1936, and dedicated to improving the health of children. The Foundation operates the Alfred I...
, was performed by world-class conservator
Conservator (museum)
A conservator is a professional who works on the conservation of objects. Their work involves determining the structural stability of an object, addressing problems of chemical and physical deterioration, and performing corrective treatment based on an evaluation of the aesthetic, historic, and...
s, artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
s and craftspeople
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
who refurbished furniture, fabrics, tapestries, interior finishes, paintings, and sculptures. The comprehensive reconstruction included replacing the electrical systems and draining and repairing the 800,000 gallon reflecting pool
Garden pond
A garden pond is a water feature constructed in a garden or designed landscape, normally for aesthetic purposes and/or to provide wildlife habitat.-Habitat:...
, and landscape restoration
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
of the extensive formal gardens
Garden à la française
The French formal garden, also called jardin à la française, is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order over nature. It reached its apogee in the 17th century with the creation of the Gardens of Versailles, designed for Louis XIV by the landscape architect André Le...
plantings, constructed design elements, and statuary.
See also
- Buildings inspired by VersaillesBuildings inspired by VersaillesThis is a list of Baroque palaces built in Europe in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Some of them were inspired by the construction of the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV and its successive extensions...
- Nemours FoundationNemours FoundationThe Nemours Foundation is a non-profit organization in Jacksonville, Florida, created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1936, and dedicated to improving the health of children. The Foundation operates the Alfred I...
- DuPont Winterthur Museum and GardensHenry Francis DuPont Winterthur MuseumWinterthur Museum and Country Estate is an American estate and museum in Winterthur, Delaware. it houses one of the most important collections of Americana in the United States of America. It was the former home of Henry Francis du Pont , a renowned antiques collector and horticulturist...
- DuPont Longwood GardensLongwood GardensLongwood Gardens consists of over 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, United States in the Brandywine Creek Valley...
- DuPont Hagley Museum and LibraryHagley Museum and LibraryThe Hagley Museum and Library is a nonprofit educational institution located in Wilmington, Delaware. Hagley Museum and Library collects, preserves and interprets the history of American enterprise.- Hagley Library :...
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- List of museums in Delaware
- Garden à la françaiseGarden à la françaiseThe French formal garden, also called jardin à la française, is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order over nature. It reached its apogee in the 17th century with the creation of the Gardens of Versailles, designed for Louis XIV by the landscape architect André Le...
Landscape design history