Nemours Estate
The Nemours Estate is a 200-acre (81 ha)
Origin
Nemours was created by Alfred I. du Pont in 1909–10 as a gift for his second wife, Alicia. It was named for the north-central French town of Nemours, which was affiliated with his great-great-grandfather, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours. Carrère and Hastings designed the mansion, which is in the Louis XVI style of French architecture.[2][3]
Furnishings in the mansion
The house contains rare 18th-century French furniture and 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 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 tunes on a dulcimer and pipe organ.[1] Another clock at the mansion with a connection to French royalty is one made for Marie Antoinette, which she never received.[4]
The mansion also has a chair from the 1937 coronation of King George VI, an event which was attended by Alfred I. du Pont's third wife Jessie, and a chair from Independence Hall.[4] Alfred I. du Pont's own portrait is also in the mansion.[4]
Landscape gardens
The estate has the most developed and largest
- The named features include:[5]
- The Boxwood Garden – French parterre garden with boxwood edging and a central faun fountain.
- The Colonnade (1926) – memorial to Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, designed by Thomas Hastings.
- The Maze Garden – a maze garden with 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.
- The Reflecting Pool (1 acre) – 40 feet (12 m) in diameter, with 157 jets, backed by Japanese pin oaks.
- The Sunken Gardens – designed by Alfred Victor du Pont and Gabriel Masséna. Features large lake, grottoes, and 1930 statue by Charles-Marie Sarrabezolles (1888–1971). A. V. du Pont (1900–1970) was the only son of the owner and an architect trained at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
- The Temple of Love – in classical style, with life-sized statue of Diana (1780) by Jean-Antoine Houdon.
Restoration and renovation
The Nemours Estate reopened its gates on May 1, 2008, after closing in 2005 for a 3-year, $39 million renovation.
Litigation
In June 2012, the state of Delaware filed suit against the duPont Trust and Nemours Foundation, claiming the trustees were not following duPont's intentions, Delaware was not receiving their proper yearly distribution, and the $72 million renovation should not have been included in Delaware’s share of foundation distributions. Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden also objected to the Nemours Estate limiting access to 48 people per property tour, aged 13 and above only.[7]
See also
- Buildings inspired by Versailles
- Hagley Museum and Library
- Longwood Gardens
- Winterthur Museum and Gardens
- Landscape design history
- List of botanical gardens in the United States
- List of museums in Delaware
References
- ^ a b c "Neumours Mansion & Gardens". Fieldtrip dot Com. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Nemours Mansion and Gardens". Ettractions. Archived from the original on 28 March 2013. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ "The Mansion". Nemours Mansion & Gardens. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ a b c "Delaware's Nemours Mansion and Gardens reveal A. I. and Jessie du Pont's world: Not far by car". 30 April 2014.
- ^ a b "The Gardens". Nemours Mansion & Gardens. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Nemours Mansion & Gardens". The Brandywine. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ Associated Press (June 18, 2012). "Delaware's Nemours Foundation At Center Of Controversy". CBS 3 Philadelphia. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
External links
- Nemours Estate
- Brandywine 10
- Nemours Estate at Find a Grave
- Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. DE-283, "A. I. Du Pont Estate, Junction of State Route 141 & Rockland Road, Wilmington vicinity, New Castle County, DE", 12 photos, 30 data pages, 2 photo caption pages
- HABS No. DE-283-A, "A. I. Du Pont Estate, Blue Ball Dairy Barn, Junction of U.S. Route 202 & Rockland Road, Wilmington vicinity, New Castle County, DE", 20 photos, 34 data pages, 6 photo caption pages