Highlands in Wilmington in New Castle County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Gibraltar
Placed on the National Register of Historic Places ~ 1998
Photographed by Bill Pfingsten, November 7, 2008
1. Gibraltar Marker
Marian Cruger Coffin (1876-1957), a pioneering woman in the field of landscape architecture, designed the formal gardens on the property and oversaw their installation between 1916 and 1923. She was responsible for many other well-known gardens and designed landscapes throughout the East Coast, including the nearby gardens of Winterthur and Mt. Cuba, and the campus of the University of Delaware.
Hugh Rodney Sharp was Delaware's preeminent preservationist, restoring the Historic Houses of Odessa, Old Town Hall and the Academy of Medicine in Wilmington, and many others. His extensive philanthropy benefited many local cultural and educational institutions, particularly the University of Delaware. In 1998, Gibraltar was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Erected 1999 by Delaware Public Archives. (Marker Number NC-100.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings
this page online
Location. 39° 45.675′ N, 75° 34.447′ W. Marker is in Wilmington, Delaware, in New Castle County. It is in Highlands. It is on Greenhill Avenue 0 miles Pennsylvania Avenue (Delaware Route 52), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wilmington DE 19806, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Philadelphia. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic and on the Delmarva Peninsula. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Wawaset Park (approx. Ό mile away); First Flight of the Delaplane (approx. Ό mile away); Mount Salem United Methodist Church (approx. Ό mile away); Samuel Francis Du Pont (approx. 0.3 miles away); In Remembrance of Tower Hill School Alumni (approx. 0.3 miles away); William Poole Bancroft Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Rockford Tower (approx. 0.4 miles away); a different marker also named Looking Back (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wilmington.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Looking Back (was approx. 0.4 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
More about this marker. Although the marker itself has number
Photographed by Keith S Smith, May 20, 2013
2. Gibraltar Marker
Also see . . .
1. Marian Cruger Coffin - Wikipedia. One of the first American women to work as a professional landscape architect. (Submitted on July 21, 2013, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania.)
2. Gibraltar in Wilmington Delaware - Wikipedia. (Submitted on July 21, 2013, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania.)
3. Gibraltar - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.
Gibraltar is a significant early twentieth century industrialist estate within the city of Wilmington, Delaware. It was the residence of Hugh Rodney Sharp, one of Delawares preeminent preservationists and philanthropists associated with the early twentieth century growth of the duPont Company. Furthermore Gibraltar is significant for the dramatic landscape design and implementation by Marian Cruger Coffin, who was among the first and most accomplished of professional female landscape architects in the United States. The landscape and gardens at Gibraltar embody the distinctive characteristics of Coffin's work and are representative of the American Country Place era of landscape design.(Submitted on April 23, 2025, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.)
Photographed by Bill Pfingsten, November 7, 2008
3. Gibraltar
Photographed by Bill Pfingsten, November 7, 2008
4. Gibraltar
Photographed by Bill Pfingsten, November 7, 2008
5. Gibraltar Formal Gardens
Photographed by Bill Pfingsten, November 7, 2008
6. Gibraltar Formal Gardens and Reflecting Pool
Wikipedia - Public Domain
7. Marian Cruger Coffin
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 2, 2024
8. Marian Cruger Coffin Gardens
The gardens at the Gibraltar estate.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 15, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,283 times since then and 43 times this year. Last updated on February 16, 2020, by Carl Gordon Moore Jr. of North East, Maryland. Photos: 1. submitted on November 15, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 2. submitted on July 21, 2013, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania. 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 15, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 7. submitted on July 21, 2013, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania. 8. submitted on March 17, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York.
