Pennsylvania's Longwood Gardens, a 1,077-acre botanical garden in Kennett Square has announced that it has entered an agreement to purchase Granogue estate property in Delaware.
The 505-acre estate was the former home of Irénée du Pont, a former president of DuPont and a descendent of the company's founder, Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours.
In a joint statement from Longwood Gardens and The Conservation Fund, a group focused on land conservation, the groups say that Longwood Gardens also intends to operate the estate.
The statement calls the property "one of the last remaining pieces of unprotected open space in the Brandywine River Corridor with large sections of farmland, forest, pasture, and meadow."
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“Longwood Gardens is honored to play a part in the preservation of Granogue,” Paul Redman, president and CEO of Longwood Gardens, said in a statement. “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.”
Terms of the purchase were not disclosed, but the statement noted that the agreement includes all land and buildings on the property and was based on a plan that was worked on over several years.
“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.”
The statement notes that Longwood Gardens and The Conservation Fund began discussions to purchase the 1923 estate and land with the Granogue Reserve, LTD, LLC - who own of the property - back in 2016.
A a study and master plan, the statement claims, was developed in several years ago with a commitment for Granogue to remain "a pastoral cultural landscape."
“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 Phillips, senior vice president of The Conservation Fund.
