Louise E. du Pont Crowninshield
| Louise E. du Pont Crowninshield | |
|---|---|
 | |
Louise Evelina du Pont Crowninshield (August 3, 1877 – July 11, 1958) was an American heiress and historic preservationist. She was the great-granddaughter of Eleuthère Irénée du Pont, the founder of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company.[1]
Biography[]
She was the daughter of Henry A. du Pont (1838–1926) and (1849–1902); her brother was Henry Francis du Pont (1880–1969).[1] Her grandparents were Henry du Pont and , who resided at Eleutherian Mills, the ancestral home of the du Pont family.
She was born, raised, and educated at the family estate, Winterthur, north of Wilmington, Delaware. Later, she was a debutante whose coming-out party was held in New York City in 1896; she socialized with members of the city's most exclusive families.
Marriage[]
On June 28, 1900, Louise du Pont married (1869–1950), a wealthy man and a renowned yacht-racer and expert marksman of the Boston Brahmin Crowninshield family.[1] There were no children by the marriage. The Crowninshields had homes in Marblehead and Boston, Massachusetts; Boca Grande, Florida; and the original du Pont family estate, Eleutherian Mills, north of Wilmington, Delaware.
Activities[]
Louise du Pont Crowninshield actively participated in charitable organizations, horticulture, historic preservation, and collecting antiques. She often provided financial assistance and artifacts when needed at historic sites. In addition, she was a member or trustee of numerous historical societies, museums, art, and symphony organizations.
In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed her to the Boston National Historic Sites Commission.
Eleutherian Mills[]
One of Louise du Pont Crowninshield's earliest historic restoration projects was the original du Pont family estate, Eleutherian Mills.
When the DuPont Company ceased its operations along the Brandywine in 1923, it was decided that the houses and surrounding properties would be offered to the descendants of their original owners. Louise's father, Henry A. du Pont, purchased Eleutherian Mills, and the 52 acres it was on, for her. Louise and her father came to an agreement that she would live in the house at least part of the year. From that point on, Louise and Frank resided at Eleutherian Mills during the spring and fall months.
The home had been abandoned by Louise's grandmother, , after an explosion at the DuPont mills in 1890. After that, the home was used as a clubhouse for workmen of the company. Over the years, the home fell into disrepair.[2] Louise and her husband Frank began work on its restoration quickly after the purchase, with Louise's father coordinating the renovations while they were in Boston or Boca Grande.
Kenmore[]
She was also involved with historic restoration in Virginia, particularly the Kenmore Association, of which she was a regent. Kenmore was the Fredericksburg, Virginia, home of Fielding Lewis and his wife, Betty Washington Lewis, who was George Washington's sister.
Wakefield[]
Wakefield, located on the former Popes Creek Plantation in Virginia, was where George Washington was born. Louise was president of the Wakefield National Memorial Association, and she contributed much of the furniture for the development of the project.[3]
National Trust for Historic Preservation[]
She was a founding trustee of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1949 and was vice-chairman of the board in 1953. In recognition of her services to historic preservation, the National Trust instituted an annual award, the Louise Evelina du Pont Crowninshield Award. The Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award is the National Trust's highest national recognition, and is given only to those individuals who have demonstrated "superlative achievement over time in the preservation and interpretation of our cultural, architectural or maritime heritage, including buildings, architecture, districts, archeology, cultural landscapes, and objects of significance in the history and culture of the United States."[4]
Death[]
She died on July 11, 1958 in Wilmington, Delaware.[5][6]
Archival materials[]
Archival materials relating to Louise E. du Pont Crowninshield are part of the Archives owned by Hagley Museum and Library and the Henry Francis DuPont Winterthur Museum, near Wilmington, Delaware.[1]
See also: National Trust for Historic Preservation. Forum. 2000. "Louise's Legacy" by Kim Burdick. & Delaware Humanities Forum. www.dhf.org. Speakers Bureau.
Family tree[]
| show |
|---|
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d "The Winterthur Archives". Winterthur Museum. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
Louise du Pont Crowninshield (1877-1958) was the daughter of Col. Henry Algernon du Pont and Mary Pauline Foster and sister to Henry Francis du Pont. On June 28, 1900, she married Francis Boardman Crowninshield. ...
- ^ Whitehall, Walter Muir (1960). Louise du Pont Crowninshield 1877-1958. Winterthur, Delaware: The Anthoesen Press. pp. 15–16.
- ^ "Forum Journal & Forum Focus - Preservation Leadership Forum - A Program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation". forum.savingplaces.org. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
- ^ "Louise du Pont Crowninshield Award | #PreservationForum". forum.savingplaces.org. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
- ^ "Mrs. Crowninshield". Christian Science Monitor. July 12, 1958. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
Mrs. Louise E, du Pont Crowninshield, who passed here yesterday, was widely known for her civic and cultural activities. She was a trustee and principal ...
- ^ "Mrs. Francis B. Crowninshield Is Dead; Leader in Preservation of Historic Sites". New York Times. July 12, 1958. Retrieved 2012-11-28.
Mrs. Louise E. du Pont Crowninshield, widow of Francis Boardman Crowninshield, international yachtsman, died today ...
External links[]
- A description of the Louise E. du Pont Crowninshield papers is available from the Hagley Museum and Library's website.
| show Authority control  |
|---|
- 1877 births
- 1958 deaths
- Crowninshield family
- Du Pont family
- Historical preservationists
- People from New Castle County, Delaware