Nemours Mansion Tour Dec. 5, 2009

The Preservation Alliance hit the road, travelling to Wilmington, DE to tour the Nemours Mansion and Gardens, which recently completed a $39,000,000 restoration. Over lunch at the duPont Country Club before the tour, Grace Gary, Nemours Executive Director, preservation architect Mary DeNadai, who headed the restoration, and John Carr, Milner + Carr Conservation, shared their experiences and insights into the restoration of this grand historic home. The group then proceeded to the Nemours visitor center, where they viewed a film on the life of Alfred I. duPont, and then toured the magnificent mansion, resplendent with holiday decorations. The 47,000 sq. ft. mansion, built from 1909 to 1910, looms over the surrounding formal gardens and is furnished with fine antiques, famous works of art, beautiful tapestries, and other treasures. The grounds surrounding the mansion extend for one third of a mile along the main vista from the house, and are among the finest examples of French-style gardens in the United States. The tour concluded with a visit to the chauffeurs garage where the family's antique cars are on display.