In 1906 Pierre S. du Pont was 36 when he bought the Peirce farm because he'd heard the 100-year-old arboretum was to be destroyed. George Peirce had purchased 402 acres in 1700 from William Penn's commissioners. In 1798 his twin great-grandsons began planting 15 acres of various specimens of trees. By 1850 the arboretum had become a place for locals to picnic. By 1906, however, the Peirce heirs had neglected its upkeep and after passing through different owners the trees were to be sold to a lumber mill. This is when Pierre du Pont stepped in. Because of his love of the countryside and his boyhood love of running water, he set about turning his new summer home, Longwood, into what is now billed as one of the top 10 public gardens in America.
Longwood Gardens now covers 1,077 acres. The Conservatory that Pierre built covers four acres. It also houses a ballroom and music room. This is where he and his wife, Alice, whom he married when he was 45 years old, would entertain their guests. The couple never had children so much of their philanthropy work centered on the needs of children--public schools, universities, and hospitals. The house they lived in was not at all grand. It was built in 1730 as a simple brick farm house. In 1914 Pierre du Pont had a matching addition built which was connected to the original house by an atrium. . . .
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| Architect's rendering of addition to the Peirce-du Pont House, c. 1913 |
