Our Travels to du Pont's Winterthur (Wilmington, DE)

Winterthur, an American countyr estate nestled north of the bustling city of Wilmington, boasts one of the most impressive collections of Americana available and was created in the likeness of 18th and 19th century European country houses.  It is the former home of Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969) who was an avid antiques collector and horticulturist.  It is surrounded by 60 acres known as 'Winterthur Garden', through which visitors are both invited and encouraged to stroll and experience.

 Front view of the estate (it's a model in the museum)

 We were first walked out onto the terrace so we could see   
                                 more of the surrounding grounds.

  Who wouldn't love to have their afternoon tea on the terrace
                                 overlooking all the gorgeous trees!

  The first room we entered was the main dining room ... the room     
                                  in which Henry F. du Pont loved to entertain the most, adorning it
                                  with fresh flowers from his own gardens.  Mr. du Pont insisted
                                  that every room have fresh flowers and that every bouquet was
                                  different for each day.

 The next notable period room was covered in a beautiful Asian           
                                 wallpaper which du Pont purchased as soon as he heard of its 
                                 existence.  He wanted it for his estate so badly that when the paper
                                 proved to be too tall, he had ceilings raised and walls knocked down
                                 to accomodate it without wasting any paper.  Then he had artists 
                                 finish the work above doors and around doorframes so the story it
                                 portrays could continue uninterrupted around the perimeter of the
                                 room.

  The next stunning item was this elegant, winding staircase.  Mr. du
                                  Pont salvaged this staircase from an old home in North Carolina that
                                  was due to be demolished.  Along with the staircase he also salvaged
                                  chair rails, wooden trim for windows and doors, as well as some 
                                  doors, all featured in this front entryway.  He had all installed while
                                  his family was away on a cruise, offering quite a surprise upon their
                                  return!

  This is a shot straight up from the bottom of the same staircase.

  Lastly, we enjoyed the 60 acres of gardens at Winterthur.  Well, I 
                                 didn't get to experience all 60 acres, but we'll definitely be visiting
                                 again to make a larger "dent" in that task.  This is a shot of the
                                 greenhouses found near the main house.

There are so many more things to see here ... and there are three different tours in which to see it all!  Here are a few facts about Winterthur:

* Winterthur is situated on 982 acres, of which there is 60 acres of naturalistic garden.  There were 2500 acres when it functioned as a country estate.

* There are 175 period-room displays in the museum and approximately 85,000 objects.  The collection spans two centuries of American decorative arts, from 1640 to 1860.

* The Winterthur Library and Research Center includes more than 87,000 volumes and approximately 500,000 manuscripts and images.

* The main museum and offices occupy 96,572 sq ft.  After the museum opened, the du Ponts resided in their nearby cottage (now serving as the Museum Shop) which is 21, 345 sq ft. 

* In 1926 Winterthur's dairy operation included 300 prizewinning Holsteins producing 11,000 pounds of milk per year per cow.  Now 80% of the nation's milk-producing cattle descends from these cows. 

* The oldest tree on the property is the "William Penn" tree, a tulip-poplar in Chandler Woods.  It is old enough to have been growing when William Penn was alive.

Luckily we've had a bit of an Indian summer here on the East Coast, allowing us to get out and enjoy the early fall and it's changing colors.  I've finally picked out the new digital camera I want and I'll be visiting again in the Spring to bring you MUCH better pics of the outdoor gardens in bloom.

Until then ~