by The last of the du Pont-related visits we made in Wilmington, Del., was also the most opulent – the Nemours Estate (the other visits were Hagley and Winterthur). This 200-acre “country estate” has a 77 room French neoclassical mansion (or “chateau” if you’re super rich) with sweeping formal gardens to the front and side. While walking the hidden pool in the Sunken Garden I was reminded of Versailles in France, and was pleased when the guide later said the gardens were modeled after that French estate. It is the largest French formal garden in North America, with the central axis extending 1/3 of a mile from the mansion.
At 47,000 square feet, the mansion was designed to be a show-stopper for Alfred du Pont’s second wife, Alicia. It was built in 1910 and named Nemours after a French town affiliated with du Pont’s great-great-grandfather. The house is furnished in the French style and contains many antiques and works of art. Just du Pont, his wife, and 2 children lived in all that space and grandeur. As part of the tour you do get to walk through all three floors of the mansion; about half of the rooms are open to the public. The house and grounds received a $39 million refresh in 2005.
Upon his death in 1935, du Pont left $40 million to care for the estate and establish a children’s hospital, which today has grown to one of the largest children’s health networks in the nation.
