Jeff Groff shares his observations:
Walking through the Winterthur Garden I am always struck by how many different types of views there are—woodlands, open meadows, masses of bloom and color, tunnels of light, and an endless variety of shades of green. The buildings, walls, garden ornaments and placement of steps and landings frame and accent the views. In its heyday as a working farm, grazing dairy cows would have added both picturesque interest and movement to the landscape. But lately I have been thinking about another significant way the landscape was seen and appreciated in all seasons, and that is from the house.
Others have written about how H.F. du Pont interwove the colors of his gardens with the colors of the walls, fabrics, and furnishings of his rooms, often making seasonal changes to reflect the transformations that were occurring outside. But I wonder if people realize how many places there are in the house that allowed family, guests, or even servants to look out on the gardens, get some fresh air, or soak in some sun on a cheery, early spring day.
Terraces of course provide that opportunity. Gazebos too. But look upwards at the top floors from the East Terrace and you will see the open porch on the 7th floor that served the family with entrances both from a sleeping porch that ran along one side and from Mr. du Pont’s office/study. The trees have grown much taller over the years, but there were once sweeping views up to farm hill, out over the duck pond, across to fields, or down to the swimming pool. Before the Crowninshield Building was completed in the late 1960s the sunken garden with its roses was also in sight. Imagine the family out on this porch, listening to the radio or Victrola and enjoying reading a book or magazine, or simply looking.
The scene from the dining room porch echoes that of the 7th floor above, but here family and guests could dine on a pleasant summer evening at long trestle tables, comfortably seated in Windsor chairs. You can imagine the good food, wine, conversation, and the sound of tree frogs as you caught a glimpse of the setting sun casting light on the trees beyond.
From stair halls, bedroom windows, sitting areas, and even bathrooms there would have been changing images depending on the time of year. Even servant bedrooms on the upper floors had tantalizing views to March Bank or towards azalea woods or out to the peony garden.
One of the fascinating vestiges of Winterthur’s past is a wide balcony with a solid canopy that juts out from the 5th floor. Curving, decorative brackets support it. It is not present in photographs from the early 1930s so was added sometime after the addition to the house was completed.
Who was it for? It extends from the former kitchen, so I have to assume it was kitchen staff. What was its purpose? Perhaps a breath of fresh air and brief escape from a hot kitchen or a place to have a cigarette. It is quite an elegant little area and a wonderful outlook to Clenny Run, Farm Hill, and distant fields.
So next time you walk through the Winterthur garden, look back at the house where its windows and porches and balconies are placed. Note where you pause on a terrace, or a path, or at the top of cascade of stairs and think not only of H.F. du Pont’s eye for plants and color but also his mastery of creating scenic views.
