East Marlborough Township near Longwood in Chester County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Italian Water Garden
Pierre S. du Pont's love of water and fountains are embodied in this Garden built from 1925-1927. Inspired by his early travels to Italy, he drew inspiration for Villa Gamberaia, near Florence for the basic design. Mr. du Pont planned every aspect of this Garden, from the sculptures to the hydraulic calculations. He designed the two most distant corner pools to be 14 feet longer than those nearer, creating the illusion that all four pools are identical in size.
The Italian Water Garden is the second of three fountain gardens du Pont designed for his Longwood—he learned from his work on this garden which led to improvements to the original design of the Open Air Theatre and to his final fountain garden, the Main Fountain Garden.
[Photo captions, left to right, read]
• View of Villa Gamberaia from The Art of Garden Design in Italy by H. Inigo Triggs
• Above: Plan of Longwood's Water Garden as drawn by du Pont in 1925.
• Right: Elevation drawn by du Pont depicts viewshed from the elevated observation terrace (at left). Du Pont calculated designs for shorter front and longer back pools to counteract foreshortening.
Erected by Longwood Gardens.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1925.
Location. 39° 52.449′ N, 75° 40.199′ W. Marker is near Longwood, Pennsylvania, in Chester County. It is in East Marlborough Township. Marker and Italian Water Garden are on the grounds of Longwood Gardens. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square PA 19348, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A different marker also named Italian Water Garden (a few steps from this marker); Peirce's Woods (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Peirce's Woods (about 700 feet away); Peirce's Park (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Peirce - du Pont House (approx. ¼ mile away); Open Air Theatre (approx. ¼ mile away); Flower Garden Walk (approx. ¼ mile away); American Elm (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Longwood.
Also see . . . Longwood Gardens: 1926-1936 Flowers, Fountains, & Music. (Submitted on October 19, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 177 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 19, 2021, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.