Du Pont Family's Gilded Age Influence Explored in Delaware's Brandywine Valley
The Brandywine Valley in Wilmington, Delaware, offers an unexpected Gilded Age getaway, showcasing the homes, gardens, and inventions of the influential du Pont family. The du Ponts were not merely wealthy individuals but industrialists, inventors, gardeners, collectors, and patrons whose legacy is evident throughout the region. Their fortune originated from E.I. du Pont's black powder business, founded in 1802 along the Brandywine River. This enterprise grew into a major industrial company, supplying explosives for mining, construction, and the military, which subsequently funded the family's extensive estates, art collections, and gardens. Key sites include Hagley Museum and Library, where the family's industrial roots are explored, Winterthur, which highlights Henry Francis du Pont's passion for American decorative arts and horticulture, and Nemours Estate, the country home of Alfred I. du Pont, known for its 77-room mansion and French-inspired gardens. The Hotel Du Pont in downtown Wilmington, opened i...