Longwood Gardens Acquires 505-Acre Du Pont Estate In Northern Delaware

KENNETT SQUARE, PA— Longwood Gardens, a botanical garden in southern Chester County, agreed to acquire and operate Granogue, a 505-acre estate along the Brandywine River in northern Delaware.

The Granogue was the home of the late Irénée du Pont, Jr., president of the DuPont chemical company, who passed away on Jan. 16 at age 103.

“Longwood Gardens is honored to play a part in the preservation of Granogue,” Paul B. Redman, president and CEO of Longwood Gardens, said Thursday afternoon.

The mansion has 11 bedrooms for family members and six for live-in employees. An oak-paneled music room is home to an Aeolian pipe organ that's similar to one at Longwood Gardens.

Details of the agreement were not disclosed.

“We understand the important role this iconic landscape plays in our region’s ecology, community, and quality of life, and we look forward to working with our partners to ensure this treasure is stewarded for future generations to enjoy,” Redman said.

The estate is eight miles from Longwood Gardens, a botanical garden of 1,077 acres in Kennett Square.

Longwood is one of the top tourist spots in Pennsylvania with 1.6 million guests visiting in the fiscal year 2022. The garden is in the midst of a $250 million, 17-acre expansion.

The Granogue

The Granague, a 1923 estate, is one of the last remaining pieces of unprotected open space in the Brandywine River Corridor with large sections of farmland, forest, pasture, and meadows.

The agreement is based on a plan that was worked on jointly since 2016 between Longwood Gardens, The Conservation Fund, and Granogue Reserve.

A preliminary study assessing current site conditions and encompassing site master planning was developed in 2018-2019, with a commitment to Granogue to remain a pastoral cultural landscape.

Although perhaps best known as one of the world’s great gardens and for its horticultural education programs that date back more than 60 years, conservation is at the heart of Longwood, according to Redman.

“Our gardens began with Pierre S. du Pont’s act of preservation to save a 202-acre arboretum that was important to the region and community,” Redman said. “Today, we are honoring the legacy of Longwood through an act of conservation to protect another landscape and add another open space that is important to our region and community.”

Grace Engbring, daughter of Irénée “Brip” and Barbara “Barbie” du Pont, Jr., and family representative for Granogue Reserve, said preserving this beautiful land is important to the du Pont family, the legal entity that owns the property.

“Longwood Gardens has shown great care in stewarding our great-uncle Pierre’s former estate, and I know Longwood will ensure Granogue thrives into the future,” she said. “My father was committed to keeping Granogue as an open space to be enjoyed by many and he did this very gracefully just as Longwood will continue to do.”

The Conservation Fund, which works to protect the most critical lands and waterways in the United States to provide greater access to nature, strengthen local economies, and enhance climate resiliency, has protected 8.5 million acres of land across all 50 states since 1985.

“We are proud to play a role in preserving this ecologically vital parcel of the Brandywine River Corridor and ensuring it remains a pastoral jewel for the Brandywine Valley region to enjoy,” said

Blaine T. Phillips, senior vice president of The Conservation Fund.
Continuing a long legacy of philanthropic leadership, du Pont family members, and related cultural institutions have joined the effort to advance the collective vision for Granogue.
While Longwood Gardens will own and operate Granogue, the Mt. Cuba Center, Hockessin, Del. and the Longwood Foundation have provided generous support to help fund the acquisition.
In addition, du Pont family members have generously contributed funds to establish a permanent endowment for future operations and advancement of the vision for Granogue.

History of Longwood Gardens

In 1906, industrialist Pierre S. du Pont (1870-1954) purchased a small farm near Kennett Square, to save a collection of historic trees from being sold for lumber.

Longwood Gardens is the living legacy of Pierre S. du Pont, bringing joy and inspiration through the beauty of nature, conservation, and learning.

Open daily, Longwood is one of more than 30 gardens in the Philadelphia region known as America’s Garden Capital.