William duPont, Jr.

William duPont, Jr.. . , The Bellevue Transformation , After inheriting Bellevue from his father in 1928, William duPont, Jr. transformed the estate to reflect his own passions. DuPont was a man who loved his time on horseback and on the tennis court, and Bellevue became a national center for both tennis and horse racing. He loved country life, so his father's Victorian house on the outskirts of Wilmington was remade into a country gentleman's home., William duPont, Jr. wanted a home unlike those of his relatives in the Brandywine Valley. Their formal gardens and elegant furnishings had no place in his active life. For ten years, beginning in 1935, he worked with local builder John A. Bauder II on both the house and grounds here. Because duPont found the Gothic Revival house he inherited cold and uninviting, they remodeled Bellevue Hall to resemble Montpelier, the Virginia home of President James Madison and for a time duPont's boyhood home. They also developed the grounds of the estate into a first rate sports center. To the two outdoor horse tracks built by his father, duPont added a quarter-mile indoor track. A tennis fan, duPont had seven outdoor courts built: two clay and five of grass. A carriage house was made into a large indoor tennis and swimming complex. He also added an outdoor swimming pool and guesthouse., By 1945, Bellevue was more than just a duPont Family mansion. It was a world-class practice facility contributing to American success in tennis. Bellevue attracted some of the most talented players in the tennis world. One was Margaret Osborne, duPont's future wife., [Captions:] , William duPont, Jr. stands in his Bellevue mansion trophy room in 1957. Around him are awards and mementos reflecting his love of horses. Photo by Cornell Capa, courtesy of Magnum Photo., William duPont, Jr. stands with one of his many racehorses. Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Delaware., This was how Bellevue Hall looked before duPont changed the Gothic Revival exterior into the present neoclassical. Photo donated by Joan Middleton.