front door     back porch

Wilmington, Delaware is home to a rare survival of a Victorian rural Gothic mansion, and a tribute to Joseph Shipley, a Quaker merchant who built the house between 1851 and 1854, and his descendants, the Bringhurst Family, who preserved the house and gave it to New Castle County.  It now sits in a 6 acre County park, with hiking trails and a Carriage House/ Barn which has been turned into a caterer run party facility.

It is fully furnished and contains much family furniture and clothing, which is in remarkable condition. But one of the things that is in need of help is the conservatory, which is a rare American survival of this type Victorian  structure.

Rockwood conservatory    rockwood park

There are two public events coming up which sound like a lot of fun. First is the Annual Rockwood Holiday Open House, December 3, 4, and 5. It will feature entertainment, Santa and Mrs. Claus, a holiday gift shop, and a ceremonial tree lighting and a special reading of "Twas The Night Before Christmas" in the mansion. The event is free but please bring a non-perishable food item or mittens, hats or gloves for the less fortunate. Details on www.rockwood.org.  

An event to benefit the restoration of the conservatory is a Victorian Costume Ball on Saturday, February 26, 2011 to be held in the Carriage House. Details are on the website in the Happenings Guide on page 24, and reservatiions must be made to 302-761-1722. 

 Carolyn Roland's photoCarolyn Roland, GRI CRS Patterson-Schwartz & Assoc. Inc.

Selling historic properties in Delaware1731 PA stone home and Chester County, Pennsylvania since 1987.  Office located in Hockessin, DE, on the Delaware/Pennsylvania line.


 


    Search for properties and learn about the historic scene, past and present       

  The DE and PA Historic Real Estate blog                                Call: Direct 800-771-2332  Office 302-239-3000

 

                      Historic homes logo      PSA logo    EHO logo   crs logo

 
This post has been included in Delaware Real Estate News New Castle County, DE Real Estate News Wilmington, DE Real Estate News
Post is included in group: Heritage Properties, Historic Sites and Antiques .
Post is included in group: Local History
Post is included in group: Road Trips

0 Comments on Rockwood Museum is a Rural Gothic Treasure

Login or register to leave a comment
 
Best Rainmaker_large

Carolyn Roland-Your Delaware and Chester County Historic Homes Specialist

Wilmington, DE

More about me…

Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate

Address: Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate, 7234 Lancaster Pike, Hockessin, DE, 19707

Office Phone: (302) 239-3000

Cell Phone: (302) 593-5111

Email Me

View Carolyn Roland's LinkedIn profileView Carolyn Roland's profile



Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog