Mansion & Gardens Reopening

Wilmington, Delaware
Thursday, May 01, 2008 @ 10:42 AM EDT

Wilmington, DE: Nemours Mansion & Gardens has completed a $39,000,000 restoration and re-opened the gates to its majestic landscape on May 1st, 2008.

This mammoth reconstruction was done over a three year period utilizing world-class conservators and craftspeople who worked on excavations, landscaped the formal gardens, drained and repaired the 800,000 gallon reflecting pool, replaced electrical systems, and refurbished statues, paintings, furniture and tapestries.

Originally constructed in 1910, Nemours Mansion is one of the grandest buildings ever constructed in Delaware and includes the largest formal French garden in North America. This duPont “house” was designed by renowned architects Carrere and Hastings who were also the designers for the New York Public Library, New York City’s Frick Mansion, and Whitehall, the Henry Flagler Mansion in Palm Beach.

The revitalized gardens closely follow the model of the Petit Trianon at Versailles. Here, at Nemours, the spectacular statue Achievement has been placed at the garden’s center. Designed by French artist Henri Crenier, it looms over the maze garden on an elevated marble pedestal vase. Covered in 23 karat gold leaf, this magnificent sculpture stands as the inspired centerpiece of the Nemours vista.

The mansion is presented as a “home”, not a museum. It contains more than seventy rooms spread over five floors occupying nearly 47,000 square feet and is fully “one acre under one roof”. It’s unique furnishings include rare French 18th century furniture and there is a stunning, individual collection of great art.

Paintings in the collection are by artists that include J.M.W. Turner, James Peale, Charles Willson Peale, Peter Breugel the Younger and Frederick Remington. Decorative objects are by Tiffany, Limoges, Wedgwood, Sevres and Royal Crown Derby. The lushly landscaped grounds and woodlands encompass 222 acres with wildlife that includes red fox, white tail deer, blue heron, red tail and red shoulder hawks, orioles, merganser ducks and native yellow-eared sliders. The original estate was fully self sufficient with orchards, vegetable gardens, a dairy herd, beef cattle, greenhouses, a power plant and even ice-cream making machines. This landscaped jewel in the Brandywine Valley is a fitting crown for the legacy of Alfred I. duPont. His philosophy was one of kindness, fairness and responsibility. He believed that “it is the duty of everyone in the world to do what is in his power to alleviate human suffering.” The charitable trust established though his will became the Nemours Foundation and continues to improve the lives of children to this day.

He asked that Nemours Mansion & Gardens be preserved and improved upon for the pleasure of the viewing public. The restoration of the Mansion & Gardens is true to the trust that Mr. duPont placed in the hands of his trustees.

For reservations, go to www.nemoursmansion.org or call (302) 651-6912.

modified: Thursday, May 01, 2008 @ 03:27 PM EDT
created: Thursday, January 10, 2008 @ 10:40 AM EST

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.