Preservationists

in northern Delaware

By Ken Mammarella Contributing Writer

The du Pont family has had huge impacts on Delaware’s economy, politics and culture. Less famous are the legacies of the descendants of Éleuthère Irénée du Pont – who described himself as a botanist when he emigrated from France – on the local environment.

Their impact is best illustrated in the rolling hills northwest of Wilmington, nicknamed Chateau Country for its grand (du Pont) estates, with much of the impact marked off in a map prepared by the Brandywine Conservancy (Page 14), which was co-founded by George A. “Frolic” Weymouth, whose mother was a du Pont. The colored areas of the map mark various kinds of protection.

The conservancy’s campus has a landmark museum on Route 1 in Chadds Ford, and its land and other protected land (colored light green) spread south along the Brandywine into Delaware. To the east is First State National Historical Park, in dark green.

Also light green are Winterthur (once Henry Francis du Pont’s estate) and the Bidermann Golf Club (once Henry’s private golf course). Also key are the Mt. Cuba Center (once the home of Lammot du Pont Coepland and his wife Pamela, not on the map) and the Ashland Nature Center (also off the map) and Coverdale Farm Preserve (partly shown on the left of the map), of the Delaware Nature Society.

“Preservation has always been a cornerstone” at Winterthur, said CEO Chris Strand. “Our board of trustees has defined our