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apollonaut. Built by People Who've Been

Journal / History

History, architecture & heritage

A French château
in the Brandywine Valley.

The story of Nemours Estate, from Alfred I. du Pont’s country house to a restored mansion and garden open to visitors.

The mansion at the end of the Long Walk, lined with conifers and urns of red flowers
The mansion at the end of the Long Walk.

A house named after a French town

Alfred I. du Pont created Nemours in 1909–10 as a gift for his second wife, Alicia. He named it after the town of Nemours in north-central France, which was linked to his great-great-grandfather, Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours. The architects Carrère and Hastings designed the mansion in the Louis XVI style.

The mansion at Nemours Estate beside a clipped boxwood parterre and a gravel walk
The Colonnade at Nemours Estate above a bed of purple flowers

Gardens on a grand axis

The gardens follow the French formal tradition and are patterned after those around the Petit Trianon at Versailles. Their central axis runs about a third of a mile from the mansion, past the Reflecting Pool and the Colonnade of 1926, a memorial to Pierre Samuel du Pont de Nemours and his son Eleuthère Irénée du Pont.

Restored and reopened

The estate closed in 2005 for a three-year restoration of the house, its collections and the gardens, including the repair of the Reflecting Pool. It reopened on 1 May 2008. Today the Mansion and the Chauffeur’s Garage are self-guided, with guides stationed throughout the property.

A clipped boxwood parterre with red flowers around a small fountain

Continue exploring

The Colonnade at Nemours Estate above a bed of purple flowersVersailles in DelawareThe French formal gardens.The mansion at Nemours Estate beside a clipped boxwood parterre and a gravel walkWhat to see at the estateMansion, garage and gardens.Plan your visit

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