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FeedThe Du Ponts: Houses and Gardens in the Brandywine
A new book by Maggie Lidz shows not only the fabulous homes the family built, but also how they lived. These excerpts are but a hint.
Published November 18, 2009 at 08:31 AM
(page 1 of 9)
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H.F. du Pont (center) visiting his cousin Pierre (right) at Longwood, ca. 1925 | Forecourt in the 1920s |
Nemours
1802, renovated 1923-25
Residence of Alfred I. du Pont
IN DECEMBER 1907 Alfred had divorced his first wife, Bessie Gardner. Ten months later, Alicia divorced her husband, Amory Maddox, and within two weeks married Alfred. They brazened out the resulting scandal (second cousins, they endured family condemnation on both sides) by building a whipped-cream wedding cake of a house. Nothing like Alfred and Alicia’s new house had ever been built in the Brandywine Valley. A century later, the opulent Nemours, now a public museum, remains unique.
Page 2: Eleutherian Mills
Reader Comments:
I attended the book signing at Hagley's Soda House last night and Maggie Lidz's presentation about the book and the houses was just lovely. I purchased a book, and got it signed, for my daughter for Christmas. She just loves Gibraltar and I was so pleased to see it included in the book. I recommend the book as a holiday gift for anyone interested in Delaware history!
Stacey