Winterthur Museum & Country Estate is located northwest of Wilmington, Delaware. Convenient to New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Winterthur is recognized around the world for its preeminent collection of nearly 85,000 decorative and fine art works made or used in America between 1640 and 1860. It is nationally renowned for its 1000-acre estate, featuring a 60-acre naturalistic garden known for year-round beauty; an outstanding research library of books, periodicals, manuscripts, visual images, and ephemera; extensive conservation facilities; and two master's-degree programs, co-sponsored by the University of Delaware, in Art Conservation (one of just three in the country) and in Early American Culture.
When Henry Francis du Pont assumed responsibility for managing the family home and lands in the 1920s, his love of history extended beyond collecting American antiques; he sought to preserve an agrarian way of life that was in twilight, thanks to the very industrial revolution that had brought his family enormous wealth.
In Britain, the country house was an agricultural enterprise — a community of farms and holdings that provided for the manor lord and his family as well as for the hundreds of workers on the estate. The great country house stood as the cultural nucleus of its community, and by the 18th century, it was a popular tourist destination. Visitors were guided around the house and grounds by the housekeeper or butler would point out the five key cultural attractions of a great country house: its history, land holdings (including vast gardens and parks), architecture, art collections and library.
Du Pont was determined to prove that the country house could not only survive but thrive in America. Although Winterthur already boasted a distinguished history through its association with the du Pont family, H. F. enhanced its historical appeal by collecting early Americana and creating vignettes of historical objects that celebrated the nation's greatest figures.
Winterthur boasted large land holdings as well, but H. F. and his father added even more. At its height, the estate encompassed more than 2,500 acres. And upon this expansive landscape young Henry created verdant parks by sculpting the hills and waterways into a romantic setting. Near the family home, he perfected the gardens, which he ingeniously designed to appear naturalistic.
