This area is often referred to as Chateau Country due to the unparalleled concentration of historic sites, magnificent estates, glorious gardens, and mesmerizing museums. The area’s significance is attributed to its role in three centuries of American Industrial history.
The water-powered mills and proximity to the Port of Wilmington created thriving industrial and commercial markets and spawned the development of Wilmington. Later the Wilmington-Kennett Turnpike (now Route 52) left a legacy of buildings, parks, and cultural institutions created by eighteenth-and-nineteenth-century industrialists. Hotel du Pont, the Wilmington Institute Free Library, the Federal Courthouse, and the U.S. Post Office (now Wilmington Trust) are all found at Rodney Square.
Leaving the city, the picturesque, preserved landscapes contain numerous American country estates. Landscaped gardens are a vital component of these historic landscapes within the estates. It takes about an hour to drive the byway but allow 2-3 days to experience it all.