When my team and I first discovered that we would be spending six weeks at Winterthur Garden and Museum in Delaware for their first round project, some questions arose, “What exactly is Winterthur? Is it a garden or a museum, an estate…? Who is this Francis du Pont character?”
My team is composed of a diverse group of individuals from nine different states but only one originally from the East Coast. The more research we did on the project, the more the anticipation was building.
A cloud of curiosity lingered over us as we traveled north from our campus in Perry Point, Maryland.
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The Mansion property on the estate of the Winterthur which serves as office space
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As we entered Winterthur and began to drive down the hill, everyone on the team was quiet (which is very rare) but no words were necessary for the team to recognize how fortunate we were to be serving at the uniquely stunning Winterthur.
Henry Francis du Pont established the Winterthur Corporation in 1930 with intentions of maintaining Winterthur as a place for education, historical preservation, and enjoyment to the public. In 1951, Winterthur Museum and Gardens opened to the public. Winterthur is very unique in that in offers history, art, beauty, and learning.
The museum collection consists of rare early American decorative arts. Winterthur also has a research library that serves as an academic center for American art and culture that reaches out internationally.
Winterthur has approximately 80,000 visitors each year, including over 1,000 school children who are given the opportunity to experience and learn from Winterthur through scholarships.
The museum is filled with priceless antiques that demand upkeep. Originally with Henry Francis du Pont, the garden staff consisted of 50 members; it now currently holds 15 gardeners. The staff is usually pulled from their regular duties, so NCCC helps fill this gap which in turn directly benefits the entirety of the estate.
What we did in Winterthur
Raven 1 was a valuable asset to Winterthur Garden and Museum. We were able to complete projects that had been set aside for years because they required larger numbers than available before we arrived. The team entered the project during the most pivotal time of the year and was able to help prepare for not only its most active season, but also for Point-to-Point, a steeple race that is the largest event of the year for Winterthur. This was critical for the health of the surrounding environment and also necessary in preparing for the special event.
Raven 1 was a valuable asset to Winterthur Garden and Museum. We were able to complete projects that had been set aside for years because they required larger numbers than available before we arrived. The team entered the project during the most pivotal time of the year and was able to help prepare for not only its most active season, but also for Point-to-Point, a steeple race that is the largest event of the year for Winterthur. This was critical for the health of the surrounding environment and also necessary in preparing for the special event.
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| Skunk cabbage gives birth to cabbage patch kid, Henry |
Winterthur consists of almost 1,000 acres of land with an overwhelming amount of trees and plants.
The team completed a broad range of small and large projects serving beside and learning from the horticultural staff such as:
- Pruning, watering, and mulching of over 500 trees on the land
- Planting several new trees and approximately 250 native plants
- Landscaping 75 acres of the land
- Removing and chipping dead trees
- Clearing unwanted brush and invasive species
- Construct, repair, and restore the irrigation system which is invaluable for Winterthur to function properly
- Restored numerous streambeds and banks on the Winterthur property; part of this required utilizing the wood chipper to remove debris
- Painting/sanding signs and fences, building/restoring almost 9 miles of fences
- Painting and installing communication poles
- Demolishing a rotted, unsafe pavilion for the public
We got green thumbs
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| Raven 1 got their green thumbs in Winterthur, DE |
Each member genuinely enjoyed working alongside and learning countless skills and interesting facts from Winterthur’s horticultural staff. It is now common for us to test our new knowledge by pointing out new plants and trees we’ve learned about, or interesting facts about the garden and Winterthur.
The garden department staff has also inspired the team to investigate edible plants, landscaping, and gardening. One Corps Member, Jerramie, used the always-crowd-pleasing garlic mustard in a pasta sauce he created on the Ameri-budget.
We learned how to use some tools for the first time
The staff at Winterthur taught us a variety of skills and gave us hands-on learning experiences through one-on-one training and instruction with equipment and horticultural contents.
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Emily and Maddi use weed wrenches to remove roots and weeds from the garden.
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Here’s a short list of some of the useful tools we learned to use:
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- Weed wrench
- Shovels
- Hand saws
- Weed eaters
- Loppers
- Pitch forks
We learned how to operate a manual transmission
The staff also trained us to use a variety of utility vehicles; several members on the team did not previously know how to drive a manual transmission. Through consistent practice the members on my team learned how to operate vehicles with manual transmission for the first time.
Here are some other vehicles we learned to operate:
- Toolcats
- Bobcats
- Mowers
- Dump trucks
- Front-end loaders
We appreciate the patience and willingness from the horticultural department to teach us about the garden and how to use tools and equipment.
What we liked best and how we grew as a team
It is no surprise that each member of the team embraces the serenity of the garden by going on strolls, practicing yoga in the Sundial Garden, having an Easter egg hunt in the Enchanted Woods, or reading outdoors in their own favorite place.
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| Raven 1 poses for a team photo at Winterthur Museum and Country Estate in Delaware.
Left to Right: Michael, Andre(Romerio), Skylar, Maddi, Ashley, Cassie, Jerramie, Henry, Emily and Keiper
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We feel blessed to be a part of Winterthur, feeling that the peacefulness and beauty of the garden is reflected upon all those that work at Winterthur.
While on this project we’ve fostered a connection with the Winterthur community; we also feel a strong connection to the estate itself and the spirit that Henry Francis du Pont was trying to establish.
It is evident how much pride the team takes in Winterthur because we got to see the fruits of our labor and we were able to display our accomplishments.
We were also given multiple service learning opportunities including a garden walk, museum tour and restoration tour to make the connection with the historical impact Winterthur has on the community, Delaware and the world. Our projects at Winterthur that involved clearing brush and invasive species taught us that if we feed off of the energy of one another we can accomplish great things when working together that may not have been feasible with one person.
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| Cassie from Raven 1 does chainsaw work on her birthday |
It’s amazing that one place we knew nothing about previously could teach us so much in only six weeks.
"In these surroundings, so intimately connected with the lives of our forefathers, we see fine craftsmanship and soundness of workmanship; we see the economic and cultural development of our country, and in addition the symbols through which the founders of our Republic expressed their patriotism and love of country." - Henry Francis du Pont
~Keiper, Raven 1, Class 18, Team Leader
