History under glass: The historic significance and potential future of the Winterthur greenhouses

Greenhouses are a significant component of Winterthur's cultural landscape. The first Winterthur greenhouse was built for the Bidermann family in the 1840s. It served subsequent generations of the Du Pont family until the twentieth century. To accommodate expanding the mansion, a new greenhouse range was built at a location selected by Henry Algernon du Pont and his son, Henry Francis.;Henry Francis du Pont assumed ownership of the estate following his father's death. Mr. du Pont was a respected horticulturist and continued building greenhouses to support the development of his vision for Winterthur. He contracted with preeminent greenhouse construction firms to build a range exceeding 277,000 cubic feet of growing space. The range was a fundamental component in developing Winterthur as an American country estate.;Greenhouses are integral in defining American country estates. The Winterthur range is unique in size and longevity of operation when compared to the greenhouses on the estates of Mr. du Pont's contemporaries. Several of Winterthur's greenhouses were subdivided into smaller growing rooms which allowed growers to produce diverse crops for display, food, and gifts. Mr. du Pont maintained and utilized the range for over sixty years.;The use of the range was discontinued in the 1980s and its future use is under consideration by Winterthur's current leadership. The greenhouse range has several distinct characteristics and a unique history including an association with a historically significant person all of which suggest the range should be conserved. Opportunities for conservation include rehabilitating existing structures and reconstructing lost structures to recreate the experience of a greenhouse range on an American country estate.