Wilmington -- Nemours

Object Details

General: Caption: Katherine of Russia Gates and Garden "Nemours"; Postcard circa 1915-1930.; Originally the estate of Alfred I. du Pont, Nemours was named for the site of the ancestral du Pont family home in France. Its grand, French-style gardens, designed largely by du Pont's son, Alfred V. du Pont, and Gabriel Masséna, complement the 77-room Carrère and Hastings mansion. Highlights of the gardens include a boxwood parterre, the "Four Borders" (mixed herbaceous borders), woodlands, a maze garden, sunken gardens, a rock garden, and a one-acre reflecting pool with 157 water jets. Greenhouses were built between 1909 and 1929, with an addition in 1981. Architectural features reflect the heroically royal scale and style of the garden's design. Persons and firms associated with the property include: Alfred I. du Pont (former owner, before 1935); Jessie Ball du Pont (former owner, before 1970); Gabriel Masséna (landscape architect); Alfred V. du Pont (landscape architect); Carrère & Hastings (architects); and Smythe and Son (contractors).

Former owner: Du Pont, Alfred I.; Du Pont, Jessie Ball
Architect: Carrère & Hastings
Landscape architect: Du Pont, Alfred V. (Alfred Victor), 1900-1970; Masséna, Gabriel
Contractor: Smythe and Son
Collection Collector: Marchand, Richard

Place: Nemours (Wilmington, Delaware); United States of America -- Delaware -- New Castle County -- Wilmington

Topic: Gardens -- Delaware -- Wilmington; Formal gardens; Mansions; Garden walks; Garden borders; Gates -- Iron

Former owner: Du Pont, Alfred I.; Du Pont, Jessie Ball
Architect: Carrère & Hastings
Landscape architect: Du Pont, Alfred V. (Alfred Victor), 1900-1970; Masséna, Gabriel
Contractor: Smythe and Son

See more items in: Richard Marchand historical postcard collection (35mm slides); Richard Marchand historical postcard collection (35mm slides) / Delaware

Sponsor: A project to describe images in this finding aid in this collection received Federal support from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

Collection Citation: Smithsonian Institution, Archives of American Gardens, Richard Marchand historical postcard collection.

Collection Rights: Archives of American Gardens encourages the use of its archival materials for non-commercial, educational and personal use under the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Use or copyright restrictions may exist. It is incumbent upon the researcher to ascertain copyright status and assume responsibility for usage. All requests for duplication and use must be submitted in writing and approved by Archives of American Gardens. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.

Bibliography: This property is featured in Gary, Grace and Dwight Young. Nemours: A Portrait of Alfred I. DuPont's House. New York: Random House Incorporated, 2011. Garden has been featured in Town and Country, January 15, 1932, p. 42. Garden has been featured in House and Garden's Second Book of Gardens (1927), p. 16. Garden has been featured in "The Royal Image," Gardens & Countrysides V, No. 2 (July 1990).

Collection Restrictions: Access to original archival materials by appointment only. Researcher must submit request for appointment in writing. Certain items may be restricted and not available to researchers. Please direct reference inquiries to the Archives of American Gardens: aag@si.edu.