High on a bank of the Brandywine River overlooking the original powder mills, E. I. du Pont, founder of the DuPont Company, built his home. For almost a century the Georgian-style home and surrounding complex of buildings and gardens served as the center of family and business life. Five generations of du Pont family members lived in the house since its completion in 1803, each leaving their mark. Today you will see it much as it was when the last family member lived there, filled with furnishings and collections of American folk art, alongside treasured family pieces and items brought with the family from France when they left in 1799.
The residence complex is a large, walkable area that includes the barn, the du Pont family home, the “First Office” of the Company, the E. I. du Pont Garden, and the Crowninshield Garden.
The First Office of the DuPont Company was constructed in 1837 and remained the nerve center for the company for more than fifty years. An early typewriter, ledgers, and telegraph key reflect the business activities that were once housed in this building.
Be sure not to miss:
- The Conestoga Wagon in the barn used to transport black powder from the yards to the port of Wilmington for shipment
- Du Ponts Down the Road, an exhibition in the back of the barn featuring antique vehicles
- A stroll through the E. I. du Pont Gardens where the company founder enjoyed and experimented with his true passion—botany
